Farmer Jerry Knoblach of Arizona,USA wants to bring wireless service to millions of rural Americans. His plan: Beam it down from balloons hovering at the edge of space.Cheap, disposable hydrogen-filled balloons carrying miniature versions of cellphone towers may soon provide service to rural, sparsely populated areas.Knoblach's company, Space Data Corp., already launches 10 balloons a day across the Southern U.S., providing specialized telecom services to truckers and oil companies. His balloons soar 20 miles into the stratosphere, each carrying a shoebox-size payload of electronics that acts like a mini cellphone "tower" covering thousands of square miles below.......... (continue)
Meanwhile more Stratospheric Industries are popping up like Space Data Corp. There are
Mobile phone airship to conquer stratosphere - A zeppelin will replace all of the terrestrial mobile phone antennas in Switzerland - if a Swiss inventor has his way.
Internet access takes to the skies via Turtleships for Cell Service - In North Dakota, former Gov. Ed Schafer is backing a plan to loft wireless network repeaters on balloons high above the state to fill gaps in cellular coverage.
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