UK Testing Wireless Broadband Via Airship

fruey writes "A team from York University, UK are about to test high altitude platforms, according to this article, as a way of bringing high-speed internet services to computer users in remote areas out of reach of broadband. They plan to use solar powered engines to keep the aerial platforms in position. The Capanina site have some more information about this stratospheric broadband experiment. More technical stuff can be found at the York University website This technology could deliver broadband communications at data rates up to 120Mbit/s! Screw cable and xDSL, when will stratospheric be available near me?"

Comments

Altitude?

[HangingChad]

What alititude would you have to park the airship? On a tether no less. If it's anything under 50,000 feet it's going to be an air hazard and subject to weather, as would anything tethered to the ground. Plus it's going to have to deal with the jet stream. Otherwise you have to reel it in every time a thunder storm blows through. Doesn't sound very reliable.