High altitude platforms to provide broadband for all
19 May 2004
News
An international project led by York University aims to make broadband available to remote rural areas and even moving trains, thanks to high altitude platforms (HAPs).
These HAPs will be airships or solar-powered aircraft that are permanently located in the skies at an altitude of 20 km, above the altitudes at which aircraft normally operate but below that of satellites.
Said to promise lower cost and better efficiency than present technologies, HAPs do not require underground cabling or masts - which can be both expensive and inconvenient - to deliver broadband. They are also better able to serve mass markets with high-speed communications than satellites are. Ideal for rural, suburban and other hard-to-reach areas, the HAP technology will also benefit users who are on the move.
"The opportunities offered by HAPs are exciting," said York University's Dr David Grace, the project's principal scientific officer. "Demand for fast communication is increasing all over the world and this technology offers a unique way of delivering broadband inexpensively to people wherever they are."
Connections will be 2000 times faster than via a traditional modem and 200 times faster than today's wired ADSL broadband. The project, which is known as Capanina, is investigating the most effective way to operate wireless communication links via HAPs, including fast propagation and resource management. The systems will include steerable antennas and the latest digital signal processing.
York Electronics Centre is coordinating the international research. The other 13 European and Japanese partners specialise in various aspects, including the development and construction of equipment for trials, the creation of business models, and free-space optical communications. The first objective of the Capanina project is to deliver high-speed broadband connections to rural areas across Europe. The team hopes to achieve this in the next four years. Ultimately, they will look at delivering broadband to moving trains. This will involve the use of 'smart' antenna systems that link with access points on the train giving passengers with laptops high-speed Internet via 'Wi-Fi'.
For more information contact David Grace, University of York, [email protected], www.capanina.org
Further reading:
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
Read more...
TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
Read more...
Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
Read more...
Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
Read more...
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
Read more...
Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
Read more...
printer friendly version