Just ran across this Wired magazine article about a new cellular technology called SkySite to carry traffic. You launch a cellular transceiver attached to a disposable balloon, it rises to an altitude of about 20 miles, and then it relays cellular calls for hundreds of square miles with a single balloon. The balloon eventually drifts out of position, at which point, the electronics package is released and parachutes back to earth and it radios its position back to the company. The balloons are dirt cheap compared to building cell towers, so even though you have to repeatedly send up more balloons as they drift out of position, you're still way ahead, cost-wise. They're going to try a single trial balloon for North Dakota, and if successful, they claim they can go ahead and provide coverage for the whole state with just three balloons!

Of course, in higher density areas, you'd need more balloons, but the gain in efficiency and potential robustness is pretty impressive. If you need more capacity, say the Olympics are in town, just send up more relatively cheap balloons. Hurricane coming your way? No problem, the balloons fly higher than the weather systems. Earthquake? Major blackout? Ice storm? No problem--well, at least on the balloon's end. And North Dakota could economically provide cellular coverage where it is currently uneconomical to do so, so that's great for public safety out in the boonies. Cool, a poor man's sat phone network! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I wonder if regular cellular handsets will perform the same with these balloons, particularly indoors, considering the distance from the balloon to the ground.

Just a thought, as I don't know about this stuff...

How high do these balloons get? If they are able to get into the 20,000 ft level, they could be affected by the polarfront jetstream (which often exceeds 205 mph), couldn't they? I wonder how long they would be effective at that speed?

Sue

Sue, the article mentions that the balloons reach an altitude of "up to 20 miles" and that they drift along at 30 mph. They would have to pass through the jet stream on the way up, but I have no idea how long they would be carried along in it before the balloons climb out of it.

Sounds like a job for unmanned aircraft to me! Solar powered or on long duration engines flying in a race track pattern would give extended precision coverage with a completely reusable package.

And at 20 miles altitude, -(some 100,000 feet!, -Stratosphere or Better!-Spacecraft Re-entry begins only 4 times farther away), -This is well above aircraft flight levels too! Far and Away! Gosh!, -Thats even higher than the SR-71 flew! (My Most Beloved of all Aircraft!).

Brings to mind a Question, -What was the name of that government Stratospheric Balloon Project, -of the 50s or 60s, -which I pretty well recall as beginning with a "P"?

(I'm not referring to Kittinger's 1961 jump, -though thats a Great, Fondly Remembered thing too!) [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Arney[/email]

Project Manhigh?

Sue

I wonder if this could be used on a smaller scale some day.

Say you have a few ballons that you can send up after a crash landing that give you a window of time to make some phone calls. Probably cost prohibative, but fun to think about.

Are these balloons biodegradeable or are we just going to litter the stratosphere? It would be nice if the balloon could be retreved along with the transmiter. This is why I like the unmaned solar powered cellular transmiter plane idea. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yeap, they are recovered. The balloons are degradable in the sun.

The company that sends them up will send out the GPS coordinates when they land and let people go find them for a bounty. My dad has found one for them. Got $50 to find it and hold onto it until they could come pick it up from him.

I've heard of it being done for HAM radio in a short term setup with tethered balloons.