Stratellite

STRATELLITE
SEMINAR DOCUMENTATION
BY
M UDAY KUMAR REDDY
18891A0494
IV YEAR ECE-B

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CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
 HISTORY
 4 GENERATION
 STRATELLITE
 ADVANTAGES
 DISADVANTAGES
 APPLICATIONS
 STRATELLITES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
 STRATELLITE ADVANTAGES OVER SATELLITE
 CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION
Wireless communication is simply data communication without the use of
landlines. This may involve cellular telephone, two-way radio, fixed wireless
(broadband wireless), laser (free space optics) or satellite communication
systems. Mobile wireless technologies are going to act as glue towards bringing
together the wired and wireless to share and distribute information seamlessly
across each other area of reference.

Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer
of information between two or more points that do not use an electrical
conductor as a medium by which to perform the transfer. The most common
wireless technologies use radio waves. With radio waves, intended distances can
be short, such as a few meters for Bluetooth or as far as millions of kilometers for
deep-space radio communications. It encompasses various types of fixed, mobile,
and portable applications, including two-way radios, cellular telephones, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless networking. Other examples of applications
of radio wireless technology include GPS units, garage door openers, wireless
computer mouse, keyboards and headsets, headphones, radio receivers, satellite
television, broadcast television and cordless telephones. Somewhat common
methods of achieving wireless communications include the use of other
electromagnetic wireless technologies, such as light, magnetic, or electric fields or
the use of sound.

Stratellite is a brand name trademark of Sanswire for a future emissions-free,

high-altitude stratospheric airship that provides a stationary communications

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platform for various types of wireless signals usually carried by communications

towers or satellites. The Stratellite is a concept that has undergone several years
of research and development, and is not yet commercially available; Sanswire,
with its partner TAO Technologies, anticipates its current testing sequence to
include the launch of a Stratellite into the stratosphere. Since from the beginning
of wireless communications, there have been a number of developments in each
generation. Considering the future generation of wireless communication.

Wireless operations permit services, such as mobile and interplanetary

communications, that are impossible or impractical to implement with the use of
wires. The term is commonly used in the telecommunications industry to refer to
telecommunications systems (radio transmitters and receivers, remote controls,
etc.) which use some form of energy radio waves, acoustic energy,) to transfer
information without the use of wires. Information is transferred in this manner
over both short and long distances.

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HISTORY

Sans wire Inc were the first to come up with the Stratellite. As the name
suggests, it is a satellite, in the stratosphere. Positioned 13 miles, or 20 kilometers
above the surface of the earth, it has the straight up-and-down communications
advantages of any other satellite, but reduces transmission times by a factor of
nearly 2000 for geostationary satellites, and 15 for low orbiting satellites.

Using airship technology, a stratellite is above the cloud layers and so can be
powered by solar cells and propelled by electric motors which are designed to
keep the craft at a single, pre-programmed 3-axis GPS co-ordinate, and check with
higher satellites that it stays in that position

Launching costs are next to nothing, and at nearly 250 feet long, they have
enough lift for sophisticated computation equipment - more than most
conventional satellites

Placing a communications platform into the stratosphere, in the form of an

airship, has never been done before. Such a platform can fundamentally change
how the world delivers wireless telecommunications and the way we as
individuals communicate.

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4G GENERATION

4G is the fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology,

succeeding 3G, and preceding 5G. A 4G system must provide capabilities defined
by ITU in IMT Advanced. Potential and current applications include amended
mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV,
video conferencing, and 3D television.

The first-release WIMAX standard was commercially deployed in South

Korea in 2006 and has since been deployed in most parts of the world.

The first-release Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard was commercially

deployed in Oslo, Norway, and Stockholm, Sweden in 2009, and has since been
deployed throughout most parts of the world. It has, however, been debated
whether first-release versions should be considered 4G LTE. The 4G wireless
cellular standard was defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
and specifies the key characteristics of the standard, including transmission
technology and data speeds.

Each generation of wireless cellular technology has introduced increased

bandwidth speeds and network capacity. 4G users get speeds of up to 100 Mbps,
while 3G only promised a peak speed of 14 Mbps.

To achieve the goals of true broadband cellular service, the systems have
to make the leap to a fourth-generation (4G) network. 4G is intended to provide
high speed, high capacity, low cost per bit, IP based services. The goal is to have

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data rates up to 20 Mbps. Most probable the 4G network would be a network

which is a combination of different technologies (current cellular networks, 3G
cellular network, wireless LAN, etc.)

4G-cellular systems should not only be high-speed but also high-capacity, with
low bit cost, high capacity with reasonable frequency bandwidth, the cell radius of
4G-cellular systems shall be decreased from that of present cellular systems

 4G Mobile Communication Systems

Some of the systems for future mobile communications are:

1. Broad-Band Wireless Systems

2. Intelligent Transport Systems
3. High Altitude Stratospheric Platform Station Systems

1.BROAD-BAND WIRELESS SYSTEMS

Wireless broadband (WiBB) is high-speed internet and data service

delivered through a wireless local area network (WLAN) or wireless wide area
network (WWAN). As with other wireless services, wireless broadband may be
either fixed or mobile.

For the latter, high-speed internet is delivered wirelessly by an internet

service provider (ISP) to the customer, and is commonly called wireless internet,
broadband wireless or cellular internet. In this context, Broadband is used as a
shorthand way to refer to high-speed internet connectivity. For an internet

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connection to qualify as broadband in the United States, it must offer at least 25

Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload as defined by the FCC in 2015. The United
Kingdom considers 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload as broadband speed,
and 25/30 Mbps is superfast broadband in both the UK and EU.

Wireless broadband is not the same as Wi-Fi, which is a way to connect

computers and devices together into a LAN, and may be used to connect a
network to the internet by another means. Wireless broadband implies that
internet service itself is being delivered wirelessly to a single device, which may in
turn be connected to other devices -- possibly using Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

Conceptually, think of wireless broadband as using your smartphone

hotspot to provide internet service, but with dedicated equipment.

ISPs usually sell mobile broadband to consumers through a paid

subscription to access the service. Generally, free municipal broadband/Wi-Fi
would not be considered mobile broadband, even though it provides a similar
service. With wireless broadband, a provider usually provides service over a wide
area to many customers. A modem is used to connect to the provider's wireless
network, with most modems linked to a single provider.

Wireless broadband is typically divided into either fixed or mobile

categories, determined by if the connecting device is fixed in a single location or
can be easily moved. A mobile connection would be in a cellphone, laptop or a
dedicated mobile hotspot, and fixed wireless service would be a device designed
to provide internet to an entire home or office.

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Fixed wireless may be a standalone device with only an Ethernet jack to

connect it to another network, or -- as with many modems today -- multi-use
devices with a router and Wi-Fi access points built in. It may use an external
antenna to provide better connectivity to the provider's base station, and it may
be physically mounted to the building structure. Many of these antennas are
directional, providing better reception if pointed at the service tower. Some
services require (or have better performance with) a line of sight to the tower.
Therefore, trained equipment installers may be required.

Wireless networks can feature data rates roughly equivalent to some wired
networks, such as that of asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) or a cable
modem. Wireless networks can also be symmetrical, meaning the same rate in
both directions (downstream and upstream), which is most commonly associated
with fixed wireless networks. A fixed wireless network link is a stationary
terrestrial wireless connection, which can support higher data rates for the same
power as mobile or satellite systems.

Few wireless Internet service providers (WISPs) provide download speeds of

over 100 Mbit/s; most broadband wireless access (BWA) services are estimated to
have a range of 50 km (31 mi) from a tower. Technologies used include LMDS and
MMDS, as well as heavy use of the ISM bands and one particular access
technology was standardized by IEEE 802.16, with products known as WiMAX.

WiMAX is highly popular in Europe but has not met full acceptance in the
United States because cost of deployment does not meet return on investment
figures. In 2005 the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and
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Order that revised the FCC’s rules to open the 3650 MHz band for terrestrial
wireless broadband operations

2. INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

An intelligent transportation system (ITS) is an advanced application which aims
to provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic
management and enable users to be better informed and make safer, more
coordinated, and 'smarter' use of transport networks.
Some of these technologies include calling for emergency services when an
accident occurs, using cameras to enforce traffic laws or signs that mark speed
limit changes depending on conditions.
Although ITS may refer to all modes of transport, the directive of the European
Union 2010/40/EU, made on July 7, 2010, defined ITS as systems in which
information and communication technologies are applied in the field of road
transport, including infrastructure, vehicles and users, and in traffic management
and mobility management, as well as for interfaces with other modes of
transport.[1] ITS may improve the efficiency and safety of transport in a number
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of situations, i.e. road transport, traffic management, mobility, etc.[2] ITS

technology is being adopted across the world to increase capacity of busy roads
and reduce journey times

ITS as systems in which information and communication technologies are applied

in the field of road transport, including infrastructure, vehicles and users, and in
traffic management and mobility management, as well as for interfaces with
other modes of transport.

Recent governmental activity in the area of ITS – specifically in the

United States – is further motivated by an increasing focus on homeland security.
Many of the proposed ITS systems also involve surveillance of the roadways,
which is a priority of homeland security. Funding of many systems comes either
directly through homeland security organisations or with their approval. Further,
ITS can play a role in the rapid mass evacuation of people in urban centres after
large casualty events such as a result of a natural disaster or threat. Much of the
infrastructure and planning involved with ITS parallels the need for homeland
security systems.

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3. HIGH ALTITUDE STRATOSPHERIC PLATFORM STATION SYSTEMS (HAPS)

HAPS has the potential to become the third communications infrastructure after
terrestrial and satellite communications. The platforms keep their positions at
about 20 km high in the stratosphere. By optical intercommunication links, they
make a mesh-like network in the sky. A broadband access link is the link between
the platform station and the user station. The typical bit rate of the access link is
25 Mb/s for most fixed and portable terminals, while a several hundred megabits
per second link is available for limited fixed terminals with antennas larger than
the typical ones. Because of using millimeter-wave bands, a small antenna with
high gain is feasible. For example, a bit rate of 144 kb/s can be provided for
vehicles by only a 5 cm dish antenna with 20 dB gain.

The technological innovations and the growing urgency to expand the availability
of broadband led to the development of high-altitude platform station (HAPS)
systems. These easily deployable stations operating in the stratosphere (layer of
the Earth's atmosphere starting at 20 kilometres) are high enough to provide

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service to a large area or to augment the capacity of other broadband service

providers.

HAPS is not a new concept and ITU studies of HAPS began around 1996.
Nevertheless, HAPS have become more viable due to the evolution of technology
through advances in solar panel efficiency, battery energy density, lightweight
composite materials, autonomous avionics and antennas.

Recent test deployments delivering broadband Internet access using stations

approximately 20 km above ground have demonstrated their ability to provide
connectivity to remote or underserved communities.

Nevertheless, HAPS systems face challenges to becoming a commercially available

option to drive global broadband delivery, especially in countries with limited
infrastructure.

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STRATELLITE
Stratellite is a brand name trademark of Sanswire for a future emissions-free,
high-altitude stratospheric airship that provides a stationary communications
platform for various types of wireless signals usually carried by communications
towers or satellites. The Stratellite is a concept that has undergone several years
of research and development, and is not yet commercially available; Sanswire,
with its partner TAO Technologies, anticipates its current testing sequence to
include the launch of a Stratellite into the stratosphere.

High-altitude airships, like the Stratellite, would hover lower than an orbiting
satellite, but far above the jet stream and most weather, in the stratosphere
approximately 13 mi (20 km) above the Earth. A single unit could then send
broadband, mobile phone and digital television and radio signals to a large area.
The unmanned Stratellite would be powered by solar cells and propelled by
electric motors. So far, this technology remains unproven, and is very far from
commercialization. A working proto-type that can perform all these functions
doesn't exist.

Lag times would be reduced by a factor of nearly 2000 compared to

geosynchronous satellites, and 15 for low orbiting satellites but with a smaller
coverage area. When compared to terrestrial communications towers, Stratellite
coverage would be larger, with lag times being more a function of internal
communications equipment rather than distance.

Estimated broadband coverage of 300,000 mi2 (480,000 km2), roughly the size of
Texas or France, is planned. Wireless signals could be transmitted to and from a
200 mi (320 km) diameter, but terrain features and man-made structures could
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partially or locally interfere with the signal. Since the Stratellite is designed for
regular returns to the surface for maintenance, some overlap and redundancy
would be required to maintain continuous service. Sanswire Networks initially
plans to deploy this technology over major metropolitan areas.

Proponents claim a high-altitude communications platform, like the Stratellite,

could make terrestrial broadcast towers obsolete, reducing the cost and time
required for hardware updates. An update made to a single unit would effectively
cascade to an entire grid of virtual broadcast towers. It will be possible to bring
broadband service to a wide area currently without terrestrial towers quickly and
with relative ease.

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The concept allows for ascent and descent and stationary operation. Short and
long time missions are possible with the Stratellite with possible launch
capabilities setup within 24 hours at any location

This altitude places the airships above both commercial air traffic and weather
effects but significantly lower than standard low earth orbits. From this height
stratellites can service a 300,000-square-mile-area.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) projects that eleven
such airships could provide radar coverage of the entire maritime and southern
borders of the United States.

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Like FTTH, a Stratellite is anticipated to be able to deliver a variety of services

including broadband Internet, HDTV, telephone as well as 3G/4G mobile phone
services.

Construction Of Stratellite
The initial Stratellite was 188 feet long, 60 feet wide and 42 feet high. It is
provided with a new steering method which uses a hybrid electric
system that drives large, slow-turning propellers. This gives the airship
helicopter-like agility by being able to move both up and down, and side
to side.

The outside layer, or "envelope," is made out of a high-tech material

called Spectra - a fabric used in bullet-proof vests and parts of space
shutt les. Spectra contains fi bre 10 ti mes as strong as steel of the same
weight and has the unique feature of being easy to cut but virtually
impossible to tear.

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The inside layer, made from a thin but strong polyester fi lm called
Mylar, is fitt ed inside the envelope and fi lled with a mixture of helium
and air as helium is an inert gas and is therefore not fl ammable. With
this design, the helium expands as the airship rises, forcing air out and
lift ing the airship.

The cycle continues, allowing the airship to gain more and more alti tude
unti l the helium has expanded to fi ll the envelope completely. Because
the pressure is so low inside the envelope, a puncture would only result
in a very slow leak, taking a long ti me to totally defl ate.

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STRATELLITE CONSISTS OF :

 PROPELLER 

A propeller is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a
pitch to form a helical spiral, that, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a
working fluid, such as water or air.[1] Propellers are used to pump fluid through a
pipe or duct, or to create thrust to propel a boat through water or an aircraft
through air. The blades are specially shaped so that their rotational motion
through the fluid causes a pressure difference between the two surfaces of the
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blade by Bernoulli's principle which exerts force on the fluid.[2] Most marine
propellers are screw propellers with helical blades rotating on a propeller shaft
with an approximately horizontal axis.

 SOLAR CELLS

A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electrical device that converts the energy of
light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and
chemical phenomenon.[1] It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device
whose electrical characteristics, such as current, voltage, or resistance, vary when
exposed to light. Individual solar cell devices are often the electrical building
blocks of photovoltaic modules, known colloquially as solar panels. The common
single junction silicon solar cell can produce a maximum open-circuit voltage of
approximately 0.5 to 0.6 volts.

Solar cells are described as being photovoltaic, irrespective of whether the source
is sunlight or an artificial light. In addition to producing energy, they can be used
as a photodetector (for example infrared detectors), detecting light or other
electromagnetic radiation near the visible range, or measuring light intensity.

 REGENERATIVE FUEL CELLS

A regenerative fuel cell or reverse fuel cell (RFC) is a fuel cell run in reverse mode,
which consumes electricity and chemical B to produce chemical A. By definition,
the process of any fuel cell could be reversed. However, a given device is usually

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optimized for operating in one mode and may not be built in such a way that it
can be operated backwards. Standard fuel cells operated backwards generally do
not make very efficient systems unless they are purpose-built to do so as with
high-pressure electrolysers, regenerative fuel cells, solid-oxide electrolyser cells
and unitized regenerative fuel cells.

 HELIUM GAS BAG

A helium gas bag, also known as an exit bag or hood,[1][2] is part of a euthanasia
device consisting of a large plastic bag with a drawcord used to commit suicide
through inert gas asphyxiation. It is usually used in conjunction with a flow of an
inert gas like helium, argon or nitrogen, which prevents the panic, sense of
suffocation and struggling before unconsciousness, known as the hypercapnic
alarm response[3]: 45  caused by the presence of high carbon dioxide
concentrations in the blood.[3] This method also makes the direct cause of death
difficult to trace if the bag and gas canister are removed before the death is
reported.[4][5][6]

Suicide bags were first used during the 1990s. The method was mainly developed
in North America.

 CATENARY CURTAIN

For a large airship, there can be dozens or even hundreds of cables and their
connecting fabric segments. And since I may be changing the shape of the airship
as I go along, I decided to implement them by arraying along a bezier curve. So for
the first curtain I first made a mesh that looks like

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 X-SHAPED TAIL ASSEMBLY

The empennag, also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of
an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on
an arrow.[1][2][3] The term derives from the French language verb empenner
which means "to feather an arrow".[4] Most aircraft feature an empennage
incorporating vertical and horizontal stabilising surfaces which stabilise the flight
dynamics of yaw and pitch,[1][2] as well as housing control surfaces.

 HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTORS

Quite simply, a hybrid combines at least one electric motor with a gasoline engine
to move the car, and its system recaptures energy via regenerative braking.
Sometimes the electric motor does all the work, sometimes it's the gas engine,
and sometimes they work together. The result is less gasoline burned and,

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therefore, better fuel economy. Adding electric power can even boost
performance in certain instances.

With all of them, electricity comes from a high-voltage battery pack (separate
from the car's conventional 12-volt battery) that's replenished by capturing
energy from deceleration that's typically lost to heat generated by the brakes in
conventional cars. (This happens through the regenerative braking system.)
Hybrids also use the gas engine to charge and maintain the battery. Car
companies use different hybrid designs to accomplish different missions, ranging
from maximum fuel savings to keeping the vehicle's cost as low as possible

 TRANSPONDER

In telecommunication, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal,

emits a different signal in response.[1] The term is a blend of transmitter and
responder.[2] It is variously abbreviated as XPDR, XPNDR, TPDR or TP.

In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight transponder is an

automated transceiver in an aircraft that emits a coded identifying signal in
response to an interrogating received signal. In a communications satellite, a
satellite transponder receives signals over a range of uplink frequencies, usually
from a satellite ground station; the transponder amplifies them, and re-transmits
them on a different set of downlink frequencies to receivers on Earth, often
without changing the content of the received signal or signals

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WORKING

 Inside is fi lled with Helium gas, as it is inert gas not fl ammable.

 The Helium gas expands pushing out air and lift ing the airship.

 Uses solar cells sprayed on their surface to generate electricity.

 The generated electricity drives propellers that work with GPS

technology to keep the stratellite stati onary.

SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:

a. Length: 245 ft in (75 m)

b. Width: 145 ft in (44 m)

c. Height: 87 ft in (26.5 m)

d. Volume: 1.3 million ft3 (420,000 m3)

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ADVANTAGES

a. Decreases Signal latency

b. Less expensive to launch
c. Service an area of 300,000 square-miles
d. Two-way high speed data communication
e. High speed broad-band access even in remote area.
f. For a country two stratellites are enough instead of thousands of towers
g. Stratellites will carry over 20,000 pounds of radars and other remote
imaging equipment, navigational aids, and telecommunications relays.
h. Stratellites are planned to remain on station for a year at a time and will
cost a one fifth as much as a comparable satellite
i. One of the many advantages our High Altitude Airships have over satellite
technology is that the payload can easily be recovered, upgraded, and re-
launched in a matter of hours.
j. Stratellites are planned to remain on station for a year at a time and will
cost a fifth as much as a comparable satellit

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DISADVANTAGES

Though the opportunities for increasing broadband links and for profit are
enormous, Stratellites are still in their infancy. They present several problems that
have yet to be fully addressed. The public may be concerned about such large,
unmanned payloads stationed above metropolitan areas . Critics question
whether technology really exists that can keep Stratellites on station for such long
periods of time.

a. Recent developments in sub-orbital flight could eventually lead to traffic

problems in the stratosphere.
b. Would require efficient ground control and maintenance.
c. So far, this technology remains non-commercialized, and is in a prototype
stage for further developments.
d. Unlike with a satellite, a stratellite is at the mercy of the weather.

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APPLICATIONS

 Once a Stratellite network is in place, it will provide a national broadband

wireless network that will provide voice, video, and broadband internet
access to all parts of the country.

 By linking several Stratellites together they can provide a wireless

broadband network that will cover thousands of miles.

 In environmental disasters telecommunication breaks down within

seconds, Re-installation of the infrastructure takes weeks or months.

 The Stratellite can be used as a floating mobile telecommunication station

for all telecommunication purposes and the transmission of temporary data
communication, telecommunication and TV-programs as well as long-term
missions over metropolitan cities.

 This would allow subscribers the ease of not having to find local access
numbers, tie up phone lines, deal with modem hassles, and more
importantly, slow speeds.

 The Stratellite will allow subscribers to easily communicate in "both

directions" using readily available wireless devices.

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 In addition to voice and data, proposed telecommunications uses include

cellular, 3G/4G mobile, MMDS, paging, fixed wireless telephony, HDTV,
real-time surveillance and OTHERS.

 With a Stratellite network, subscribers will be able to sit in their homes and
be connected on their laptops to the internet at high speed. If subscribers
need to go to the office, across town, or even to another city, they can
close their laptop and take off, reopening the laptop at their new
destination and still be connected to the internet.

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STRATELLITES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Stratellites offer a window of telecommunications opportunity.

Effectively, a Stratellite positioned over a major metropolitan area could act as a
cell tower thirteen miles high. A Stratellite, equipped with the appropriate
transponders, could manage the wireless needs of that entire metropolitan area.
Transponder access could be leased to broadband users such as Internet Service
Providers (ISP’s), cell phone companies, television networks, radio stations,
various levels of government, and to corporations with large broadband
requirements. These consumers could then resell access to end users, for
residential Internet access, for example.

None of this type of business or wireless use is innovative, so existing

regulatory schemes and business models cover Stratellite communications. In
fact, Stratellites employed in this manner would make use of existing spectrum
allocations, at least initially, and not require expensive bandwidth acquisition.
Additionally, the marketing of such links would be virtually identical to current
marketing. By increasing the utility and availability of the type of link that has,
until now, been restricted to satellites, firms can bring broadband links to new
areas, provide for increased usage, and service larger markets without any
fundamental change in operations.

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STRATELLITE ADVANTAGE OVER SATELLITE

Satellites are objects in outer space that fly around planets in circular

paths called orbits. Artificial satellites are made by people.

A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio

telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel
between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth.
Communications satellites are used for television, telephone, radio, internet, and
military applications.[1] As of 1 January 2021, there are 2,224 communications
satellites in Earth orbit.[2] Most communications satellites are in geostationary
orbit 22,300 miles (35,900 km) above the equator, so that the satellite appears
stationary at the same point in the sky; therefore the satellite dish antennas of
ground stations can be aimed permanently at that spot and do not have to move
to track the satellite.

The high frequency radio waves used for telecommunications links travel by line
of sight and so are obstructed by the curve of the Earth. The purpose of
communications satellites is to relay the signal around the curve of the Earth
allowing communication between widely separated geographical points.[3]
Communications satellites use a wide range of radio and microwave frequencies.
To avoid signal interference, international organizations have regulations for
which frequency ranges or "bands" certain organizations are allowed to use. This
allocation of bands minimizes the risk of signal interference.[4]

High-altitude airships, like the Stratellite, would hover lower than an orbiting
satellite, but far above the jet stream and most weather, in the stratosphere
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approximately 13 mi (20 km) above the Earth. A single unit could then send
broadband, mobile phone and digital television and radio signals to a large area.
The unmanned Stratellite would be powered by solar cells and propelled by
electric motors. So far, this technology remains unproven, and is very far from
commercialization. A working proto-type that can perform all these functions
doesn't exist.

Lag times would be reduced by a factor of nearly 2000 compared to

geosynchronous satellites, and 15 for low orbiting satellites but with a smaller
coverage area. When compared to terrestrial communications towers, Stratellite
coverage would be larger, with lag times being more a function of internal
communications equipment rather than distance.

Estimated broadband coverage of 300,000 mi2 (480,000 km2), roughly the size of
Texas or France, is planned. Wireless signals could be transmitted to and from a
200 mi (320 km) diameter, but terrain features and man-made structures could
partially or locally interfere with the signal. Since the Stratellite is designed for
regular returns to the surface for maintenance, some overlap and redundancy
would be required to maintain continuous service. Sanswire Networks initially
plans to deploy this technology over major metropolitan areas.

Proponents claim a high-altitude communications platform, like the Stratellite,

could make terrestrial broadcast towers obsolete, reducing the cost and time
required for hardware updates. An update made to a single unit would effectively
cascade to an entire grid of virtual broadcast towers. It will be possible to bring
broadband service to a wide area currently without terrestrial towers quickly and
with relative ease.

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 Stratellite

Satellites are becoming involved with stratellites because they avoid the
two main drawbacks of satellites.

a) Signal latency, which can cause problems in establishing broadband

links.Most telecommunications satellites are in geostationary orbit to
remain above a certain point on the Earth’s surface. That orbit, however, is
22,240 miles above the Earth, (i.e; in the area called CLARKE’S BELT), which
means that a signal going up to the satellite(uplink) and back to the
Earth(downlink) travels nearly 45,000 miles, which equates to about a
quarter of a second delay. Even users of satellite voice links notice the
delay.
b) The second drawback is that satellites are in space, requiring expensive
space launches, an additional level of regulation by national space
authorities, and an orbital allotment by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU). Stratellites remain in national airspace
and are

Dept of ECE, VITS Page 33

 Stratellite

c) The second drawback is that satellites are in space, requiring expensive

space launches, an additional level of regulation by national space
authorities, and an orbital allotment by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU). Stratellites remain in national airspace
and are

Stratellites remain in national airspace and are therefore not subject to

these licensing and technology requirements. However, they do make use of
space technology and, as stated above, are in development by at least one space
industry firm.

Dept of ECE, VITS Page 34

 Stratellite

Stratellite Satellite
Low cost High cost
Low altitude High altitude
Multi launch Single launch
Easily upgradable Not upgradable
Unlimited space avability Limited space availability
Can be used for Ip and cell transmission Can not be used for IP and cell
transmission
Higher bandwidth/throughput Limited uplink
Faster to deploy Slow to deploy
Multiple platforms One platform

 Broadband
 WEATHER MONITORING
 3G/4G Services

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 Stratellite

CONCLUSION

Stratelites provide the required facilities of wireless communication

more efficiently than the ordinary towers. The Stratellite will allow subscribers to
easily communicate in ‘both directions’ using readily available wireless
technology.” They minimise the cost of communication.

Stratellites present a mobile, low-cost, high-capacity alternative to satellite

relays and cell towers. Once the defects of Stratellites have been overcome and
become more reliable, they play a vital role in the future generation wireless
communication.

Once the defects of  Stratellites have been overcome and

become more reliable, they play a vital role in the future generation wireless
communication.This is a promising technology that could combine the best of
Satellite and wired Internet - fast with low latency and hugely widespread, at least
in theory.Probably the most "far out there" concept in this roundup, Stratellite is
actually much closer to reality than what you may think

Dept of ECE, VITS Page 36

 Stratellite

References

1. www.google.co.in

2. www.yahoosearch.com

3. howstuffworks.com

4. 21st Century Airships, Inc., High Altitude Platforms, at http://www.21stcenturyairships.com/

5. Geostationary Orbits, in Wikpedia, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_orbit (last

accessed Sept. 28, 2004).
 6. TWUF, Broadband Takes to the Skiesrt
Techdirt, Get Your Wireless Broadband By Stratellite,

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