November 7, 2007

Russian Spy plane to be used in aircraft based broadband trials

We reported here in October about a planned aircraft based broadband service in Malaysia. Adding an alternative platform for the idea, the Russian Myasishchev design bureau will be sending a M55 high altitude spy plane to Malaysia for trials in the spring. The M55 operates at a higher altitude than the aircraft in the current plans, making a broader coverage area possible. It will be interesting to see if the plan - using either aircraft is logistically possible and if it’s operating costs can scale to profitability.

It is one of these M-55 Geophysica’s which, according to the manufacturer will be used next Feb-March as a demonstration plane in Malaysia to offer a range telecoms services. The idea is to use the plane to provide telecom coverage in areas where satellite coverage is spotty, or for emergency relief following disasters which take out landline and cellular networks on the ground. Being a very high altitude plane enables it to cover a much wider area on the ground with its telecoms radio uplinks. (from Cellular News)

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Comments on Russian Spy plane to be used in aircraft based broadband trials »

November 7, 2007

Dr. Dog @ 9:18 am

What would be interesting is to have Burt Rutan let loose on the idea. That guy always has a idea up his sleeve that turns impossible into profitable.

December 27, 2007

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Will Scotland’s broadband future be a blimp? | @ 9:44 am

[...] December 27, 2007Will Scotland’s broadband future be a blimp? We reported earlier about Malaysia’s ambitious plans to use an aircraft based platform to provide broadband service to its far flung masses. Now it seems that BT is also considering an airborne broadband platform, only in their case the platform is a blimp. Ian Rose, head of BT’s satellite systems team, said so-called high altitude platforms (HAPs) had a number of advantages over satellites in space. [...]