Sites in the Sky

Blimps are synonymous with Good-year and sporting events, but linking them to wireless coverage takes some creativity.

By doing a little thinking outside the box, Platforms Wireless has combined blimps and antennas to make it easier for carriers to cover rural and developing countries (www.plfm.com). The company's Airborne Relay Communications (ARC) system uses an aerostat twice the size of the Goodyear blimp to provide wireless coverage.

ARC includes much of what you'd find at a traditional site: a couple of shelters, a power supply and some backup equipment. But instead of a tower, an ARC blimp floats high above the ground.

The company markets the ARC system as a good solution for developing or rural countries such as Australia, Brazil, China and India.

ARC probably won't be embraced in rural U.S. markets because of the tether that holds the blimp to the ground and links it to controls and power. That creates the need for a no-fly zone 3 miles long and 3 miles wide, which makes it unappealing in countries with lots of air traffic, Draper said.

The company has found less resistance from regulators in countries such as Brazil, where Platforms Wireless is in the process of installing its first system. Developing countries and carriers are attracted to the system because it takes less time and money to install, said Robert Perry, Platforms Wireless president.

“Getting into the rural world where they just barely have roads, putting towers out there and connecting the whole system together is a lot (more difficult) than us being able to take an airborne system and cover 140 miles,” Perry said. Less than half the equipment would be used in the airborne system vs. a terrestrial system, and at half the cost.

So, will the system fly?

Allen Nogee, Cahners In-Stat Group (www.instat.com) senior analyst, wireless component technology, said his main concerns deal with lightning strikes and other bad-weather woes.

“It's not going to be 100% coverage, but I think they understand that,” Nogee said.

Platforms Wireless has placed a radar system in the blimp so operators, called pilots even though they stay on the ground, will know if bad weather is on the way.

In bad weather, the blimp would be winched to the ground and then relaunched when the storm has passed.

A few companies are trying to create airborne systems. Of them, Nogee said, the ARC system seems to be the best.

“They may have some problems with high-density areas, but in the areas they're planning on, it's certainly viable,” Nogee said.