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http://www.howstuffworks.com/airborne-internet.htmHow the Airborne Internet Will Work

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Photo courtesy Angel Technologies

This diagram shows how the HALO Network will enable a high-speed wireless Internet connection

The word on just about everyInternetuser's lips these days is "broadband." We have so much more data to send anddownload today, including audio files, video files and photos, that it's clogging our wimpy modems. Many Internetusers are switching tocable modemsanddigital subscriber lines(DSLs) to increase their bandwidth. There's also a

new type of service being developed that will take broadband into the air.

At least three companies are planning to provide high-speed wireless Internet connection by placing aircraft in fixedpatterns over hundreds of cities.Angel Technologiesis planning an airborne Internet network, called High AltitudeLong Operation (HALO), which would use lightweight planes to circle overhead and provide data delivery faster thanaT1 linefor businesses. Consumers would get a connection comparable to DSL. Also,AeroVironmenthas teamed upwithNASAon a solar-powered, unmanned plane that would work like the HALO network, andSky StationInternationalis planning a similar venture using blimps instead of planes.

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We've already seen satellites used for broadband Internet access. In this article, you'll learn about the future of theairborne Internet. We'll take a look at the networks in development, the aircraft and how consumers may use thistechnology in their homes.
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The Net Takes FlightThe computer most people use comes with a standard 56K modem, which means that in an ideal situation yourcomputer would downstream at a rate of 56 kilobits per second (Kbps). That speed is far too slow to handle the hugestreaming-video and music files that more consumers are demanding today. That's where the need for biggerbandwidth -- broadband -- comes in, allowing a greater amount of data to flow to and from your computer. Land-

based lines are limited physically in how much data they can deliver because of the diameter of the cable or phoneline. In an airborne Internet, there is no such physical limitation, enabling a broader capacity.

Several companies have already shown thatsatellite Internetaccess can work. The airborne Internet will functionmuch like satellite-based Internet access, but without the time delay. Bandwidth of satellite and airborne Internetaccess are typically the same, but it will take less time for the airborne Internet to relay data because it is not as highup. Satellites orbit at several hundreds of miles above Earth. The airborne-Internet aircraft will circle overhead at analtitude of 52,000 to 69,000 feet (15,849 to 21,031 meters). At this altitude, the aircraft will be undisturbed byinclement weather and flying well above commercial air traffic.

Networks using high-altitude aircraft will also have a cost advantage over satellites because the aircraft can bedeployed easily -- they don't have to be launched into space. However, the airborne Internet will actually be used tocompliment the satellite and ground-based networks, not replace them. These airborne networks will overcomethe last-mile barriers facing conventional Internet access options. The "last mile" refers to the fact that access tohigh-speed cables still depends on physical proximity, and that for this reason, not everyone who wants access can

have it. It would take a lot of time to provide universal access using cable or phone lines, just because of the time ittakes to install the wires. An airborne network will immediately overcome the last mile as soon as the aircraft takesoff.

The airborne Internet won't be completely wireless. There will be ground-based components to any type of airborneInternet network. The consumers will have to install an antenna on their home or business in order to receive signalsfrom the network hub overhead. The networks will also work with established Internet Service Providers (ISPs), whowill provide their high-capacity terminals for use by the network. These ISPs have a fiber point of presence -- theirfiber optics are already set up. What the airborne Internet will do is provide an infrastructure that can reach areas thatdon't have broadband cables and wires.

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Airborne-Internet systems will require that an antenna beattached to the side of your house or work place.

In the next three sections, we will take a look at the three aircraft that could be bringing you broadband Internetaccess from the sky.

A HALO Over Head


The Proteus plane will carry the network hub for the HALO Network.

One the three companies developing an airborne Internet network is Angel Technologies. Its HALO Network may be

ready for deployment at the end of 2003 and in place over 10 cities by 2006. The centerpiece of this network istheProteus plane, which will carrywireless networkingequipment into the air.

The Proteus plane was developed byScaled Composites. It is designed with long wings and the low wingloadingneeded for extended high-altitude flight. Wing loading is equal to the entire mass of the plane divided by its

wing area. Proteus will fly at heights of 9.5 and 11.4 miles (15.3 and 18.3 km) and cover an area up to 75 miles(120.7 km) in diameter. The plane still needs to receive approval from theFederal Aviation Administration.

Proteus Aircraft

Weight 9,000 pounds at takeoff5,900 pounds empty

Wingspan77 ft 7 inches (23.7 m)

Expandable to 92 feet (28 m)Length 56.3 ft (17.2 m)

Height 17.6 ft (5.4 m)Engines 2 turbofan engines

2,300 pounds of thrustRange 18 hours

Speed65 knots (75 mph/120.7 kph)

to 250 knots (288 mph/463.5 kph)

At the heart of Angel's Proteus planes is the one-ton airborne-network hub, which is what allows the plane to relay

data signals from ground stations to your workplace and home computer. The airborne-network hub consists of an
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antenna array and electronics for wireless communication. The antenna array creates hundreds of virtual cells, likemobile-phone cells, on the ground to serve thousands of users. The payload is liquid-cooled and operates off of about20 kilowatts of DC power. An 18-foot dish underneath the plane is responsible for reflecting high-speed data signalsfrom a ground station to your computer.

Each city in the HALO Network will be allotted three piloted Proteus planes. Each plane will fly for eight hours beforethe next plane takes off. Angel CEO Marc Arnold says his company has identified 3,500 airports in the United States

that can meet HALO's operational needs. After takeoff, the Proteus plane will climb to a safe altitude, above any badweather or commercial traffic, and begin an 8-mile loop around the city. Each plane will accommodate two pilots, whowill split flying duties during their eight-hour flight.

Floating On AirSky Station International is counting on its blimps to beat Angel to the punch in the race to deliver high-speed Internetaccess from high altitudes. Sky Station calls its blimps lighter-than-air platforms, and plans to station these airshipsover at least 250 cities worldwide, one over each city. Each station would fly at an altitude of 13 miles (21 km) andprovide wireless service to an area of approximately 7,500 square miles (19,000 square km).

Sky Station BlimpDiameter 203 ft (62 m)Length 515 ft (157 m)Width approx. 300 ft (91 m)Power Solar and fuel cells

Each blimp will be equipped with a telecommunications payload to provide wireless broadband connections. Theblimps will be able to carrying payloads of up to about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg). Sky Station believes it can have itsfirst blimp deployed by 2002. Each blimp will have a life span of about five to 10 years. Sky Station says that its userterminals will enable broadband connections of between 2 and 10 megabits per second (Mbps).Click hereto see howthe Sky Station system works.

NASA's Sub-space PlansNot to be left out of the high-flying Internet industry, NASA is also playing a role in a potential airborne Internetsystem being developed by AeroVironment. NASA and AeroVironment are working on a solar-powered, lightweightplane that could fly over a city for six months or more, at 60,000 feet, without landing. AeroVironment plans to usethese unmanned planes as the carrier to provide broadband Internet access.
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Photo courtesy NASA

The Helios aircraft will be equipped with telecommunicationsequipment and stay airborne for six months straight.

Helios is currently in the prototype stage, and there is still a lot of testing to be done to achieve the endurance levelsneeded for AeroVironment's telecommunications system. AeroVironment plans to launch its system within threeyears of receiving funding for the project. When it does, a single Helios airplane flying at 60,000 feet will cover aservice area approximately 40 miles in diameter.

Helios AircraftWeight 2,048 pounds (929 kg)

Wingspan 247 ft (75.3 m)Length 12 ft (3.7 m)

Wing Area 1,976 square ft (183.6 m2)

Propulsion14 brushless, 2-horsepower,direct-currentelectric motors

Range 1 to 3 hours in prototype tests6 months when fully operational

Speed 19 to 25 mph (30.6 to 40.2 kph)

The Helios prototype is constructed out of materials such as carbon fiber, graphite epoxy, Kevlar and Styrofoam,covered with a thin, transparent skin. The main pole supporting the wing is made out of carbon fiber, and is thicker onthe top than on the bottom in order to absorb the constant bending during flight. The wing's ribs are made of epoxyand carbon fiber. Styrofoam comprises the wing's front edge, and a clear, plastic film is wrapped around the entirewing body.
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The all-wing plane is divided into six sections, each 41 ft (12.5 m) long. A pod carrying the landing gear is attachedunder the wing portion of each section. These pods also house thebatteries, flight-control computers and datainstrumentation. Network hubs for AeroVironment's telecommunications system would likely be placed here as well.

It seems that airborne Internet could take off in the very near future. If and when those planes and blimps start circlingto supplement our current modes of connection, downloading the massive files we've come to crave for entertainmentor depend on for business purposes will be a snap -- even if we live somewhere in that "last mile."
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