{"id":31464,"date":"2023-04-15T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2023-04-15T07:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=31464"},"modified":"2023-09-15T09:05:14","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T08:05:14","slug":"how-can-the-stratosphere-solve-5g-connectivity-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/how-can-the-stratosphere-solve-5g-connectivity-issues\/31464\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking to the stratosphere can help solve our 5G connectivity conundrum"},"content":{"rendered":"
In the UK, the ability of companies and people to access high-bandwidth, constant telecom connectivity partly explains the economic disparity between regions. Access to superfast broadband and 5G will be critical to economic growth and greater productivity.<\/p>\n
When 5G was first introduced, the industry called it a game-changer. For the first time, mobile phone users could get internet speeds only ever available with a broadband phone line. 5G is faster and allows more devices than ever to connect to the network. It offers more widespread coverage (no more dead zones) and has the potential to support advanced technologies such as IoT, autonomous vehicles, and virtual and augmented reality. These are some of the technologies that will help drive future economic growth.<\/p>\n
The UK is expected to continue with its limited 5G network deployment plans this year and maintain the same level of coverage until 2025. The network will cover 68% of the UK population and 12% of the geographical area in the UK1<\/sup>. Covering the whole UK is challenging, as 5G requires a mast every few kilometres. If the UK were to achieve total coverage of 5G, it would require tens of thousands of mast towers.<\/p>\n The risk is that 5G becomes a technology just for metro areas like London, doubling down on the economic status quo rather than becoming a way of levelling up the UK. Businesses will not consider relocating to areas outside London if they think there will not be the same connectivity.<\/p>\n The UK Government says it wants to turn the UK into the tech capital of Europe. This plan, it hopes, will grow the economy, create high-skilled, well-paid jobs, and mean the UK is now more reliant on overseas technology. Connectivity will be vital to delivering this.<\/p>\n However, to achieve this, we need to find solutions to provide 5G at speed with far less infrastructure. There has been much focus on Low Earth Orbit satellites, such as Starlink and OneWeb. However, these systems cannot connect directly to user devices without expensive, limited-range satellite ground terminals. They will be unable to provide the high-speed direct communications network on which so much of our future depends.<\/p>\n Spectrum for satellite operators is also a significant challenge.\u00a0 Access to the frequencies needed to provide telecommunications services has been determined by hugely costly government auctions, which block access to service providers unable to outbid other service providers.<\/p>\n In addition to spectrum, satellite operators also need landing rights to service and connect in a specific country. Meanwhile, launching things into space is significantly more expensive, highly polluting and time-consuming. Even the most minor glitch can turn an expensive piece of kit into another orbiting tin can.<\/p>\n Companies are now investing in new innovative and financially viable solutions. These include using un-crewed aircraft termed High Altidue Platforms (HAPs) in the stratosphere, which can provide a full 5G at 200MB per sec per user across all geographies, weather, and terrains. As well as bringing 5G to the world’s remotest parts, these services, such as the work at Stratospheric Platforms, can connect everyone in the UK to 5G with much less infrastructure. Just 24 aircraft could cover the entire UK with 5G.<\/p>\nChallenges faced by satellite operators<\/h3>\n
Financially viable solutions<\/h3>\n