HAPS

Technical Explanation

Operating in the stratosphere at approximately 20 km altitude, High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) occupy the sweet spot between terrestrial towers (50 m) and LEO satellites (500 km). Because they remain quasi-stationary over an area for months on end using solar energy and high-capacity batteries, a single HAPS aircraft can provide direct-to-handheld broadband coverage across a 100-200 km diameter circle, bridging digital divides in rural areas and restoring communications during disasters.

Key Functions

• Quasi-stationary persistent coverage across a 100-200 km regional diameter
• Direct-to-standard-smartphone connectivity without specialized satellite dishes
• Much lower propagation delay (~0.1 ms) compared to LEO (2-4 ms) or GEO (250 ms) satellites
• Rapid deployment within hours to restore telecommunications following earthquakes or hurricanes
• Stratospheric backhaul relay linking remote terrestrial micro-cells to internet backbones