Japanese telecommunication company SofBank Corp has led the way since 2017, but it seems the innovative concept of using high altitude technology to provide wide-area communication networks is gaining ground worldwide.
This follows the announcement by World Mobile – a London-based mobile network services provider – that it will be launching a blockchain-enabled 5G network using drones to beam connectivity directly to users worldwide.
The company said it had partnered with Indonesian telecom firm Protelindo to create World Mobile Stratospheric, an initiative designed to bridge gaps left by traditional communication infrastructure worldwide.
According to Charles Barnett, the chief business officer of World Mobile Group the project uses hydrogen-powered drones, flying at 60,000 feet in the stratosphere, to provide wireless coverage of up to 15,000 square kilometers per aircraft using 450 guidable beams.
“We’re proud to announce the launch of World Mobile Stratospheric (WMS), a joint venture between World Mobile and Protelindo, Indonesia’s largest digital infrastructure provider,” the telecoms provider said in a statement.
“This new entity is the groundbreaking culmination of deep telecom experience, disruptive decentralised economics, and an aerospace platform capable of transforming connectivity from 20,000 meters above the Earth.
And the hub of it all will be a UAV located 60,000 feet up in the stratosphere.
“At the heart of the project is a remarkable piece of engineering: the world’s first hydrogen-powered, sustainable, fixed-wing aircraft designed for long-endurance operations in the stratosphere,” World Mobile added.
“Each aircraft hosts a three-metre phased-array 5G antenna, capable of steering 450 beams and delivering throughput of up to 100 Gbps. That’s enough to support up to 500,000 simultaneous direct-to-handset connections with no dishes, dongles, or additional ground equipment required.
“In coverage terms, each aircraft can serve an area of 15,000 square kilometers - the equivalent of replacing over 500 terrestrial towers.”
Barnett added that this aerial network outperforms satellite-based telecommunications, with “6ms of total latency,” allowing it to provide service “up to 18 times cheaper” per gigabyte than space-based infrastructure.
World Mobile is attempting to take a slice of the sky-based communications pie, a $98.3 billion sector, which includes satellite and aerial-based communications platforms.
The company has already established a ground-based decentralised physical infrastructure network (DePin) that mixes traditional telecom infrastructure and independent, distributed providers to extend service to underserved communities by patching dead zones.
Launching and maintaining a stratospheric-based communication platform carries several technical and regulatory challenges, Barnett said.
The company is aiming for each hydrogen-powered drone, which has a 56-metre wingspan and weighs four tons, to remain airborne for nine days before it must land at a designated refueling station.
This means the aircraft, and its fuel source, must be as light as possible to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and remain aloft, while also ensuring robust construction that can withstand weather conditions at lower altitudes in the atmosphere.
At altitudes of 60,000 feet, the drones will sit above weather systems. The stratosphere also has calmer winds than at lower altitudes, where turbulence can be an issue.
However, even in the stratosphere, the drones must still be protected from cosmic radiation, which can damage electronic equipment. Similarly, the side of the drone facing the sun will be bombarded with heat, which must be displaced to prevent damage.
Meeting regulatory requirements outlined by civil aviation authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is also a challenge for such projects.
This includes acquiring permits to fly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and building each drone to standards outlined by government aviation agencies.
World Mobile has several competitors in both decentralised wireless networks and space-based communication platforms. Helium Mobile, for instance, is a decentralised protocol that combines a distributed network of wireless nodes and partnerships with established telecom companies like AT&T to extend wireless coverage and provide service to dead zones.
Elon Musk’s Starlink, which provides internet connectivity through satellites, is also competing for market share in communication infrastructure, although the two companies fill a different niche: Starlink is more suited to deliver service to remote areas without any cellular connectivity, while World Mobile Stratospheric is suited to areas with a higher density of mobile users, Barnett added.
High altitude drone technology as a network provider has already been proven in the field, by SoftBank, which also held successful trials f the same services in Rwanda in 2023.
“Before the acquisition, this technology was tested extensively,” said World Mobile.
“Demonstration flights were conducted with BT in the UK, Deutsche Telekom in Germany, and major operators in the Middle East.
“These trials validated not only the aircraft’s performance, but the reliability and stability of the phased-array antenna. The platform delivered direct-to-handset coverage at low latency and high bandwidth, with confirmed peak speeds of up to 90 Mbps and latencies as low as one millisecond.”
World Mobile is a mobile network operator that utilises a blockchain-based, hybrid network to provide connectivity, particularly in rural areas. It combines air and ground assets to deliver network coverage and works with local businesses and entrepreneurs to build a sharing economy around their network.