Broadband communications from a high-altitude platform: the European HeliNet programme

In the present climate of growth in bandwidth-hungry telecommunication appl ications, wireless infrastructure providers are under continuous pressure t o exploit the limited radio spectrum as efficiently as possible. In this co ntext, high-altitude platforms (HAPs) are increasingly being cited as havin g an important role to play in future systems and applications. They have t he potential to exploit many of the best aspects of terrestrial and satelli te-based systems, while offering advantageous propagation characteristics. Such platforms may be airships or aircraft and for environmental considerat ions would ideally be solar powered. This paper reviews some of the recent studies under the European HeliNet programme-a consortium-led project to de velop a pilotless solar-powered aircraft from which broadband communication services could be supported.