The same thing that sent the Hindenburg zeppelin skyward (and dramatically brought it down) could be the solution to providing cell phone coverage to rural areas across America, according to a Phoenix, Ariz.-based company that launches six-pound transmitters into the stratosphere with the help of hydrogen-filled balloons.
According to Space Data Corporation's Jerry Knoblach, the best way to provide cell phone service to America's often underserved rural areas is not by stringing along more cable wire or building expensive cell phone towers – which wouldn't be cost effective since so few customers equals very low revenues. Instead, the solution, as Knoblach sees it, is to send up these balloons, which, amazingly, are not expected to be anything close to permanent. In fact, the average lifecycle of one of these hydrogen balloons is about one day.
The interesting thing that could be inflating Jerry Knoblach's fortunes is interest from Google, which as a part of its push into wireless services may cooperate with Space Data Corporation or even buy it out.
Space Data Corporation is constantly making new balloons -- about 10 balloons per day -- and, believe it or not, relies on a network of strategically placed regular folks such as dairy farmers who launch the devices at specific locations and times.
When the transmitters come down, it's up to a network of volunteers to seek them out and pick them up, returning them to the company for a $100 reward. They use GPS to find the transmitters, which descend gently on parachutes after being separated from the balloon, which rises higher into the atmosphere until it bursts into tiny pieces, which Knoblach says are harmless.
Space Data Corporation is able to adjust the direction of the balloons and their overall trajectory is pretty well easy to predict and monitor, so this isn't just like letting a regular balloon go and hoping it ends up somewhere interesting.
Each balloon travels 20 miles into the stratosphere and can bring service to an area that would otherwise need 40 cell towers.
From The Wall Street Journal via Dvorak Uncensored and Gizmo Watch.
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