World Mobile, in partnership with Indonesian tower operator Protelindo, is launching a plan to deploy hydrogen-powered drones into the stratosphere to deliver 5G and blockchain-based services to users on the ground.
The project will use large drones that fly at about 60,000 feet and cover wide areas from above.
The company says the service could reach thousands of square kilometres per aircraft and run cheaper than satellite links. No firm start date has been announced, and World Mobile says the drones will land to refuel after several days aloft.
What will the system do?
Each drone is meant to act like a flying cell tower. The craft will cast up to 450 steerable radio beams. World Mobile estimates one aircraft can cover about 15,000 square kilometres.
The network will use blockchain to manage connections and payments. The idea is to bring service where wired towers and fibre do not reach.
How do the drones work?
The aircraft are powered by hydrogen, and they have a wingspan of 56 meters and weigh about 4 tons. World Mobile plans for each drone to stay in the air for 9 days before coming down to a refuelling point.
To meet that goal, the company says the drone and its fuel must both be as light as possible while still being built strong enough to handle rough weather at lower altitudes.
Performance and cost claims
World Mobile says the airborne links deliver low delay, and the company points to a total latency of about 6ms. That speed, it says, helps keep the user experience smooth.
It also claims the cost per gigabyte could be up to 18x lower than some space-based services. The firm is targeting a slice of the sky-based communications market, which it values at $98.3 billion.
Ground network and decentralisation
This aerial layer will sit on top of a ground-based, decentralised network that World Mobile already runs. The company has built a mixed model that blends traditional telecom gear with independent local providers.
That setup aims to fill dead zones and reach underserved towns, and the stratospheric layer is meant to extend that reach much farther.
Launching a fleet of stratospheric drones brings technical questions, and keeping heavy systems light is a constant trade-off. The craft must carry fuel but stay efficient, they must also survive weather that can be severe closer to the surface.
The project will face regulatory reviews too. Airspace rules and safety checks will vary by country. World Mobile notes that these steps will be part of the program.
Competition in the sky and on the ground
The company is not alone, other projects mix distributed wireless nodes with ties to major carriers. One example is Helium Mobile, which uses a decentralised protocol and works with big operators such as AT&T to push coverage into gaps. Space-based providers and other aerial platforms also compete for the same market.
Keeping a drone flying for 9 days requires an ecosystem of refuelling stations and logistics. The hydrogen supply chain and safe handling add extra layers of planning.
World Mobile will need to balance uptime, maintenance, and the cost of keeping aircraft in service. How the firm manages those moving parts will shape its rollout and pricing.
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