World Mobile uses drones to launch blockchain-enabled 5G networks, allowing users to connect directly to users around the world. The project, which partners with Indonesian telecommunications company Protelindo, is designed to fill the gaps left by traditional communication infrastructure around the world.
The project will use hydrogen-powered drones flying 60,000 feet in the stratosphere and provide wireless coverage of up to 15,000 square kilometers per aircraft using 450 Guydouble beams.
The aerial network surpasses satellite-based telecommunications, offering “up to 18 times cheaper” services per gigabyte than space-based infrastructure at “6ms total latency,” Burnett said.
The satellite communications market, the largest sector in the sky-based telecommunications industry, is expected to swell to $1590 billion by 2030. Source: Source: Grandview Research
The company is about to slice the Sky-based communications pie, a $98.3 billion sector that includes satellite and aviation-based communications platforms.
World Mobile has already established a ground-based, distributed wireless network that mixes traditional telecom infrastructure with independent distributed network providers to create alternatives to legacy telecommunication networks, expand services to non-service communities, and patches dead zones.
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Challenges for launching atmospheric-based communication networks
Barnett told Cointelegraph that launching and maintaining a stratospheric-based communications platform presents several technical and regulatory challenges.
The company aims for a hydrogen-powered drone with a 56-meter wingspan and a weight of 4 tons, and maintains its airborne days when it has to land at a designated refueling station.
This means that the craft and its fuel sources must be as light as possible to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and maintain the aloft, ensuring a robust construction that can withstand weather conditions at lower altitudes in the atmosphere.
Images of a hydrogen-powered drone fired by World Mobile Stratospheric. sauce: Mobile stratosphere of the world
At an altitude of 60,000 feet, the drone sits on top of the weather system. The stratosphere also has milder winds than low elevations where turbulence can be a problem.
However, even in the stratosphere, drones must be protected from space radiation. This can damage your electronics. Similarly, the sides of the drone facing the sun are fired with heat. This should be moved to prevent damage.
Meeting regulatory requirements outlined by civil aviation authorities such as the US and the European Aviation Safety Administration (EASA)'s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are also a challenge for such projects.
This includes obtaining permission to fly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and laying each drone to standards outlined by government aviation agencies.
Global mobile faces competition from the ground and space
World Mobile has several competitors in both distributed wireless networks and space-based communications platforms.
For example, Helium Mobile is a distributed protocol that combines a distributed network of wireless nodes with partnerships with established telecommunications companies such as AT&T to extend wireless coverage and serve dead zones.
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Elon Musk's Starlink, which provides internet connectivity through satellites, is also competing for market share in telecom infrastructure, but the companies are filling different niches, Barnett told Cointelegraph.
While Starlink is good for providing services to remote locations without cellular connections, the global mobile stratosphere is suitable for areas with a high density of mobile users, Barnett added.
Satellite communication platforms require you to purchase dedicated hardware to connect, Barnett said.
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