AIRBORNE

INTERNET
The Emerging Trend in the Mobile
World, Building Network
in the air

Abstract :
The word on just about every
nternet user!s li"s these days is
#broadband$# We have so much more data to
send and download today, including audio
%iles, video %iles and "hotos, that it!s
clogging our wim"y modems$ Many nternet
users are switching to cable modems and
digital subscriber lines &'()s* to increase
their bandwidth$ There!s also a new ty"e o%
service being develo"ed that will take
broadband into the air$ n this "a"er, we!ll
learn about the %uture o% the Airborne
nternet$ We!ll take a look at the networks in
develo"ment, the aircra%t and how
consumers may use this technology$
)and+based lines are limited
"hysically in how much data they can
deliver because o% the diameter o% the cable
or "hone line$ n an airborne nternet, there
is no such "hysical limitation, enabling a
broader ca"acity$
The airborne nternet will %unction
much like satellite+based nternet access, but
without the time delay$ The airborne nternet
will actually be used to com"liment the
satellite and ground+based networks, not
re"lace them$ These airborne networks will
overcome the last+mile barriers %acing
conventional nternet access o"tions$
This "a"er addresses some o% the
trends and issues involved in develo"ing an
Airborne nternet ca"able o% achieving this
goal$ ,nderstanding relationshi"s between
these trends and issues and the objectives
and %unctional re-uirements o% the "rogram
will allow various "artici"ants in this
com"le. "rogram to kee" activities in "ro"er
"ers"ective$ The all+round develo"ment and
im"rovement are the key areas o% research
work "er%ormed in this "a"er$
INTRODUCTION:
Airborne nternet is a "rivate, secure
and reliable "eer+to+"eer aircra%t
communications network that uses the same
technology as the commercial nternet$ t is
an im"lementation which connects aircra%t
to a ground+based nternet access node,
including the in%ormation which is "assed
across this communication link$ t "rovides
airborne access to wealth o% nternet
in%ormation and resources$ t is convenient
and has several uses like %light "lanning, en
route reservations, travel arrangements$ t is
use%ul in "roviding the in%ormation about
weather, surrounding airs"ace environment
and %or aircra%t+to+aircra%t communications$
The security a""lications include %light
tracking/deviation monitoring, in+%light
video monitoring, cock"it voice/video
recording$
This Airborne nternet &A$$* is an
a""roach to "rovide a general "ur"ose,
multi+a""lication data channel to aviation$ n
doing so, A$$ has the "otential to "rovide
signi%icant cost savings %or aircra%t o"erators
as it allows the consolidation o% many
%unctions into a common data channel$ A
"rimary a""lication %or A$$ is to track
aircra%t %or the air tra%%ic control system$
Many other a""lications can utili0e the same
A$$ data channel$ The a""lications available
are only limited by the bandwidth available$
A$$ began as a su""orting
technology %or NA(A1s (mall Aircra%t
Trans"ortation (ystem &(AT(*$ But there is
no reason that A$$ should be limited to
(AT(+class aircra%t$ All o% aviation, and
even trans"ortation, has the "otential to
bene%it %rom A$$ The "rinci"le behind the
A$$ is to establish a robust, reliable, and
available digital data channel to aircra%t$
How does satellite Internet
operate?
2ow do you access the nternet other
than dial+u" i% you live too %ar %rom a "hone
com"any o%%ice %or '() and there is no
cable T3 on your street4 (atellite nternet
access may be worth considering$ t!s ideal
%or rural nternet users who want
broadband access$ (atellite nternet does not
use tele"hone lines or cable systems, but
instead uses a satellite dish %or two-way
&u"load and download* data
communications$ ,"load s"eed is about
one-tenth o% the 566 kb"s download s"eed$
7able and '() have higher download
s"eeds, but satellite systems are about 86
times %aster than a normal modem$
9irms that o%%er or "lan to o%%er two+
way satellite nternet include (tarBand,
:egasus E."ress, Teledesic and Tachyon$
Tachyon service is available today in the
,nited (tates, Western Euro"e and Me.ico$
:egasus E."ress is the two+way version o%
'irec:7$
Two+way satellite nternet consists o%:
A""ro.imately a two+%oot by three+
%oot dish
Two modems &u"link and downlink*
7oa.ial cables between dish and
modem
The key installation "lanning re-uirement is
a clear view to the south, since the orbiting
satellites are over the e-uator area$ And, like
satellite T3, trees and heavy rains can a%%ect
rece"tion o% the nternet signals$
How the Airorne Internet
!ill !or"
The word on just about every
nternet user!s li"s these days is
#broadband$# We have so much more data to
send and download today, including audio
%iles, video %iles and "hotos, that it!s
clogging our wim"y modems$ Many nternet
users are switching to cable modems and
digital subscriber lines &'()1s* to increase
their bandwidth$ There!s also a new ty"e o%
service being develo"ed that will take
broadband into the air$
This dia#ra$ shows how the HA%O Networ" will
enale a hi#h-speed wireless Internet &onne&tion
At least three com"anies are
"lanning to "rovide high+s"eed wireless
nternet connection by "lacing aircra%t in
%i.ed "atterns over hundreds o% cities$ Angel
Technologies is "lanning an airborne
nternet network, called Hi#h Altitude
%on# Operation &2A);*, which would use
lightweight "lanes to circle overhead and
"rovide data delivery %aster than a T8 line
%or businesses$ 7onsumers would get a
connection com"arable to '()$ Also, Aero
3ironment has teamed u" with NA(A on a
solar+"owered, unmanned "lane that would
work like the 2A); network, and (ky
(tation nternational is "lanning a similar
venture using blim"s instead o% "lanes$ Now
we1ll look at the networks in develo"ment,
the aircra%t and how consumers may use this
technology at their homes$
The Net Ta"es 'li#ht
The com"uter most "eo"le use
comes with a standard 5<= modem, which
means that in an ideal situation your
com"uter would downstream at a rate o% 5<
kilobits "er second$ That s"eed is %ar too
slow to handle the huge streaming+video and
music %iles that more consumers are
demanding today$ That!s where the need %or
bigger bandwidth Broadband comes in,
allowing a greater amount o% data to %low to
and %rom your com"uter$ )and+based lines
are limited "hysically in how much data
they can deliver because o% the diameter o%
the cable or "hone line$ n an airborne
nternet, there is no such "hysical limitation,
enabling a broader ca"acity$
(everal com"anies have already
shown that satellite nternet access can
work$ The airborne nternet will %unction
much like satellite+based nternet access, but
without the time delay$ Bandwidth o%
satellite and airborne nternet access are
ty"ically the same, but it will take less time
%or the airborne nternet to relay data
because it is not as high u"$ (atellites orbit
at several hundreds o% miles above Earth$
The airborne+nternet aircra%t will circle
overhead at an altitude o% 5>,666 to <?,666
%eet &85,@A? to >8,6B8 meters*$ At this
altitude, the aircra%t will be undisturbed by
inclement weather and %lying well above
commercial air tra%%ic$
Networks using high+altitude aircra%t
will also have a cost advantage over
satellites because the aircra%t can be
de"loyed easily ++ they don!t have to be
launched into s"ace$ 2owever, the airborne
nternet will actually be used to com"liment
the satellite and ground+based networks, not
re"lace them$ These airborne networks will
overcome the last-$ile barriers %acing
conventional nternet access o"tions$ The
#last mile# re%ers to the %act that access to
high+s"eed cables still de"ends on "hysical
"ro.imity, and that %or this reason, not
everyone who wants access can have it$ t
would take a lot o% time to "rovide universal
access using cable or "hone lines, just
because o% the time it takes to install the
wires$ An airborne network will immediately
overcome the last mile as soon as the aircra%t
takes o%%$
The airborne nternet won!t be
com"letely wireless$ There will be ground+
based com"onents to any ty"e o% airborne
nternet network$ The consumers will have
to install an antenna on their home or
business in order to receive signals %rom the
network hub overhead$ The networks will
also work with established nternet (ervice
:roviders &(:s*, who will "rovide their
high+ca"acity terminals %or use by the
network$ These (:s have a %iber "oint o%
"resence ++ their %iber o"tics is already set
u"$ What the airborne nternet will do is
"rovide an in%rastructure that can reach areas
that don!t have broadband cables and wires$
Airorne-Internet syste$s will re(uire that an
antenna e atta&hed to the side o) your house or
wor" pla&e*
n the ne.t three sections, we will take a
look at the three aircra%t that could be
bringing you broadband nternet access %rom
the sky$
Co$pare+Contrast to
#round ased internet:
I,-%E,ENTATION
./.TE,.:
A HA%O O0erhead
The Angel Technologies is
develo"ing an air borne internet network
through its 2A); Network$ The center"iece
o% this network is the :roteus "lane, which
will carry wireless networking e-ui"ment
into the air$
The -roteus plane will &arry the
networ" hu )or the HA%O Networ"*
The :roteus "lane, develo"ed by
(caled 7om"osites is designed with long
wings and the low win# loadin# needed %or
e.tended high+altitude %light$ Wing loading
is e-ual to the entire mass o% the "lane
divided by its wing area$ :roteus will %ly at
heights o% ?$5 and 88$A miles &85$B and 8@$B
km* and cover an area u" to C5 miles &8>6$C
km* in diameter$
-roteus Air&ra)t
!ei#ht
?,666 "ounds at takeo%%
5,?66 "ounds em"ty
!in#span CC %t C inches &>B$C m*
E."andable to ?> %eet &>@ m*
%en#th 5<$B %t &8C$> m*
Hei#ht 8C$< %t &5$A m*
En#ines
> turbo%an engines
>,B66 "ounds o% thrust
Ran#e 8@ hours
.peed
<5 knots &C5 m"h/8>6$C k"h*
to >56 knots &>@@ m"h/A<B$5 k"h*
At the heart o% Angel!s :roteus "lane
is the one+ton airborne+network hub, which
allows the "lane to relay data signals %rom
ground stations to work"laces and homes$
The A network hub consists o% an antenna
array and electronics %or wireless
communication$ The antenna array creates
hundreds o% virtual cells, like mobile+"hone
cells, on the ground to serve thousands o%
users$ An 8@+%oot dish underneath the "lane
is res"onsible %or re%lecting high+s"eed data
signals %rom a ground station to your
com"uter$ Each city in the 2A); Network
will be allotted three "iloted :roteus "lanes$
Each "lane will %ly %or eight hours be%ore the
ne.t "lane takes o%% and a%ter takeo%% it will
climb to a sa%e altitude, above any bad
weather or commercial tra%%ic, and begin an
@+mile loo" around the city$
'loatin# On Air
(ky (tation nternational is counting
on its blim"s, in the race to deliver high+
s"eed nternet access %rom high altitudes and
calls them as lighter+than+air "lat%orms, and
"lans to station these airshi"s, one over each
city$ Each station would %ly at an altitude o%
8B miles &>8 km* and "rovide wireless
service to an area o% a""ro.imately C,566
s-uare miles &8?,666 s-uare km*$
."y .tation Bli$p
Dia$eter >6B %t &<> m*
%en#th 585 %t &85C m*
!idth a""ro.$ B66 %t &?8 m*
-ower (olar and %uel cells
Each blim" will be e-ui""ed with a
telecommunications "ayload to "rovide
wireless broadband connections$ The blim"s
will be able to carrying "ayloads o% u" to
about >,>66 a li%e s"an o% about %ive to 86
years$ (ky (tation says that its user
terminals will enable broadband connections
o% between > and 86 megabits "er second
&Mb"s*$
NA.A1s .u-spa&e -lans:
NA(A is also "laying a role in a
"otential airborne nternet system being
develo"ed by Aero3ironment$
:hoto courtesy NA(A
The Helios air&ra)t will e e(uipped with
tele&o$$uni&ations e(uip$ent and stay airorne
)or si2 $onths strai#ht*
Helios Air&ra)t
!ei#ht >,6A@ "ounds &?>? kg*
!in#span >AC %t &C5$B m*
%en#th 8> %t &B$C m*
!in# Area 8,?C< s-uare %t &8@B$< m
>
*
-ropulsion
8A brushless, >+horse"ower,
direct+current electric motors
Ran#e
8 to B hours in "rototy"e tests
< months when %ully o"erational
.peed 8? to >5 m"h &B6$< to A6$> km"h*
The 2elios "rototy"e is constructed
out o% materials such as carbon %iber,
gra"hite e"o.y, =evlar and (tyro%oam,
covered with a thin, trans"arent skin$ The
main "ole su""orting the wing is made out
o% carbon %iber, and is thicker on the to"
than on the bottom in order to absorb the
constant bending during %light$ The wing!s
ribs are made o% e"o.y and carbon %iber$
(tyro%oam com"rises the wing!s %ront edge,
and a clear, "lastic %ilm is wra""ed around
the entire wing body$ The all+wing "lane is
divided into si. sections, each A8 %t &8>$5 m*
long$ A "od carrying the landing gear is
attached under the wing "ortion o% each
section$ These "ods also house the batteries,
%light+control com"uters and data
instrumentation$ Network hubs %or
Aero3ironment!s telecommunications
system would likely be "laced here as well$
t seems that airborne nternet could
take o%% in the very near %uture$ % and when
those "lanes and blim"s start circling to
su""lement our current modes o%
connection, downloading the massive %iles
we!ve come to crave %or entertainment or
de"end on %or business "ur"oses will be a
sna" ++ even i% we live somewhere in that
#last mile$#
!hy all this detail?
The rather lengthy and detailed
e."lanation just "rovided is to illustrate how
the use o% : can very de"endably be relied
on to deliver network communications$
Aircra%t use o% communication and
navigation in%ormation must be nearly real
time, highly de"endable and it must have
backu" redundancy$ : has inherent
redundancy in its digital delivery system,
making it an e.cellent candidate %or aircra%t
use$ The reason : has never been used in an
aircra%t conte.t be%ore is because until now
there has not been a method "ro"osed to
kee" the aircra%t connected to the network,
so that the : connection is never lost$ Now
it is a""ro"riate to e.amine how aircra%t
currently o"erate so we can draw both
analogy and cite the di%%erences between
"resent day aircra%t DnetworksE and an :
based aviation network &Airborne nternet*$
Road$ap o) )uture a&ti0ities
We intend to continue a""lying the
methodology de%ined above to develo"
Airborne nternet alternatives, analy0e the
advantages and disadvantages o% each
alternative and arrive at a recommendation$
Then, working with other (AT(
organi0ations we will re%ine the architecture
and document it %or use by system
develo"ers$ =ey elements o% the architecture
will be "rototy"ed and evaluated to better
understand their a""licability to (AT($
Estimates o% "er%ormance and cost will be
made$ A se"arate security assessment will be
"roduced$
Con&lusion
Thus this airborne internet
technology has a wide range o% utilities in
the %ield o% aviation services like aircra%t
monitoring and air tra%%ic management,
weather in%ormation etc$, and also "rovides
an o""ortunity %or the "assengers to access
the internet at very high altitudes that is, in
the aero"lanes and other conventional
services$ Thus it is a %urther new trend in
this mobile world which is establishing the
connectivity by building network in the air$
Re)eren&es:
www$airorneinternet$org
www$airborneinternet$com
airorneinternet$"bwiki$com
s"acecom$grc$nasa$gov/icnscon%/doc
s/>66</6>F(essionFA8
acb866$tc$%aa$gov/Brie%ings/(e"t>@,>
665=eegan
web$uwaterloo$ca/uwsearch$"h"4
hlGenHlrGHieG,T9+
@H-Grelated:www$aerosat$com
ieee."lore$ieee$org/iel5/86AB>/BB8><
/6855?AA6$"d%4arnumberG855?A
www$datev$de/d"ile.ikon/(how)e.i
kon7ontent$do4
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