SkyTower Successfully Tests World's First Commercial Telecom Applications from More Than 65,000 Feet in the Stratosphere

ARCHIVED 2003–2016 — Originally distributed via eWire press wire service] HOME | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE | THE ARCHIVE Search Circuits Alternative Energy Alternative Health Conservation & Wildlife Corporate Responsibility Eco-Tourism Events Food & Agriculture Government Legal & Regulatory Natural Resources Science & Technology Transportation Benefits Products & Services Distribution List Syndication Partners Global Clients Testimonials FAQs ************************************************************************** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE ************************************************************************** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SkyTower Successfully Tests World's First Commercial Telecom Applications from More Than 65,000 Feet in the Stratosphere HAWAII, U.S. PMRF NAVAL BASE, BARKING SANDS, Jul. 22 -/E-Wire/-- Unmanned Solar-Electric Aircraft, Developed by AeroVironment, Equivalent to 12-Mile-Tall Tower SkyTower, Inc., in collaboration with the Japan Ministry of Telecommunications (CRL/TAO) and NASA, successfully completed a series of commercial telecommunications tests -- the world's first from more than 65,000 feet in the stratosphere. · View multimedia news release The tests, which began three weeks ago, were conducted from Pathfinder-Plus, an unmanned solar-electric aircraft developed by AeroVironment, Inc., the parent company of SkyTower. Both companies are based in Monrovia, Calif. The solar-electric powered Pathfinder-Plus took off from the U.S. PMRF Naval Base in the morning, climbed to more than 65,000 feet in the stratosphere, and reached its operating station in the early afternoon. From this position over the scenic island of Kauai, Pathfinder-Plus transmitted several hours of next-generation mobile voice, data, and video services to multiple handheld user devices on the ground. "These tests demonstrate the viability of the SkyTower stratospheric telecommunications platform as an excellent complement, and in some cases alternative, to satellite and terrestrial systems for a broad range of applications," said Stuart Hindle, vice president of strategy and business development, SkyTower. "The airborne platform, operating above the weather and commercial air traffic, is equivalent to a 12-mile-tall tower, which means significant advantages to telecom service providers and broadcasters." Picture-Perfect Video Broadcast Signal The first flight successfully tested the world's first digital high definition television (HDTV) broadcast transmission from the stratosphere, providing a picture-perfect video broadcast signal to a fixed receiver on the ground, at twice the resolution of conventional broadcast transmissions. Because of its much higher look angle, SkyTower platforms can fill in "urban canyons" -- coverage areas missed by terrestrial and satellite broadcast transmissions due to tall buildings, terrain, and the like -- and can do so using a fraction of the power. During the tests, a 24 Mbps data rate was achieved using only 1 watt of power -- less than 1/10,000 the power used by a typical terrestrial broadcast transmitter that has to overcome buildings, trees and other obstructions to cover the same area. SkyTower's local footprint can also help satellite broadcasters overcome capacity challenges that limit their ability to provide local channels within each market. Low-Cost Wireless Communications Infrastructure The HDTV broadcast was later followed by an IMT-2000 (third-generation or "3G") mobile test that demonstrated video telephony using an off-the-shelf NTT DoCoMo handset sold in Japan, and Internet surfing from a wireless modem-equipped laptop at data speeds of up to 384 kbps. "Given the amount of money that wireless service providers have spent on spectrum licenses for both fixed and mobile applications, these SkyTower tests should be of great interest," Hindle said. "Imagine launching a single platform, having instant metropolitan-wide market coverage, and eliminating the terrestrial costs associated with tower build