From: Matthew Brown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: January 20, 2004 10:15:26 AM PST Subject: Airships to deliver broadband to rural areas
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/22/34992.html
A new international EUR5.6m project aims to make Broadband internet
available to remote rural areas and even moving trains by using airships,
the University of York (UK) announced yesterday.
Scientists will build High Altitude Platforms (HAPs): airships or
solar-powered aircraft, which are permanently located in the skies at an
altitude of 20 kilometers, above aero planes but below satellites (images
here). The project will deliver broadband connections which are 2,000 times
faster than by a traditional modem and 200 times faster than 'wired' ADSL
broadband.
The solution will be cheaper and more efficient than current technologies,
the scientists claim. High Altitude Platforms do not require cabling or
masts - which can be both expensive and inconvenient - to deliver broadband.
"The opportunities offered by HAPs are exciting," said David Grace, the
project's Principal Scientific Officer, in a statement yesterday. "Demand
for fast communication is increasing all over the world, and this technology
offers a unique way of delivering broadband inexpensively to people wherever
they are."
The University of York leads the project, known as Capanina, after the
restaurant in Italy where initial discussions were held. Researchers in York
will investigate the most effective way to operate wireless communication
links via HAPs, including fast propagation and resource management,
including steerable antennas which will use the latest digital signal
processing.
The first objective of the Capanina project is to deliver high-speed
broadband connections to rural areas across Europe. The team hopes to
achieve this in the next four years. Ultimately, it will look at delivering
broadband to moving trains. This will involve smart antenna systems, which
link with access points on the train. Passengers can connect through
ordinary Wi-Fi enabled laptops.
Last year, York-based telecoms firm SkyLINC announced it was to build a
network of base stations in balloons, tethered 1.5km high, as a platform for
delivering broadband to rural communities. ®
