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Broadband from Airships

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the yes-but-where-are-my-flying-cars dept.

rustbear writes "The BBC reports that researchers looking to the skies to provide super-fast internet access via airships have proved it can successfully operate a data rate link of 11Mbps. Trials were conducted using a 12,000 cubic metre balloon, flying at an altitude of around 24 kilometres for nine hours. 'Proving the ability to operate a high data rate link from a moving stratospheric balloon is a critical step in moving towards the longer term aim of providing data rates of 120Mbps,' said Dr David Grace, the project's principal scientific officer. 'Balloons hovering in the stratosphere could become an attractive alternative as consumers demand ever higher bandwidth", said Alan Gobbi, the acting manager of the York Electronic Centre. With each airship being able to support an area of 60 kilometres, there would only need to be "a handful" to offer complete coverage in the UK, he added. Trials of the technology will continue in Japan next year.'"

5 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Vulnerability by Tiberius_Fel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So theoretically, if a country switched to a few of these, they would be a few anti-aircraft missiles away from being without internet access? Seems that centralizing them in the air like that kind of makes them vulnerable to being quickly and easily destroyed...

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    1. Re:Vulnerability by topham · · Score: 4, Insightful



      And when the war was over they would have the infrastructure back up in a few weeks.

      As a primary communications system for emergency services this isn't the way to go.

      As a secondary source of internet access this would rock.

  2. Emergency Internet / Comm Service by rlp · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Would be handy for supplying communications for emergency services. For instance, in the aftermath of a hurricane, or earthquake, this could be brought in to connect emergency service providers on the ground using battery or generator powered laptops / handhelds or VOIP phones. One of the problems during the aftermath of Katrina was landlines were down, almost all wireless phones were down (except for one or two spots) and the NOPD emergency comm system had failed.

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  3. Maybe they'll replace satellite TV. by FooAtWFU · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I saw something in the Wall Street Journal about using very-high-altitude airships to replace satellites. If the technology were developed some, they'd be a lot easier to replace than a satellite, and you don't need to worry about NASA (and other space agencies') help putting them up all the way in geosynchronous orbit, so there's a lot more potential for neat stuff on the platform. And you can move another one up there, and then take the original down for upgrades. Less risk from micrometeorites, too.

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  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion