High Altitude Platforms(HAPs)

Shreyas.S.S.
I Sem, DECS

December 16, 2014

Shreyas.S.S. (I Sem, DECS)

High Altitude Platforms(HAPs)

December 16, 2014

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Abstract

Abstract

Haps are low altitude repeaters flying in stratosphere, hence called high
altitude platforms. They have advantage over satellite and terrestrial
networks.
The emphasis is on the effective and seamless integration among
heterogeneous aerospace segments (GEO, LEO, and HAP) and aerospace
segments with terrestrial wireless networks in order to globally extend the
broadband wireless connectivity. This seminar is focused on the role of
HAPs in providing global connectivity in future communication systems
and services.

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Contents

Seminar structure

F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F

Why wireless over wired?

What is HAPs?
Presents WWAN and comparison with them.
Types of HAPs
Regulations
System architecture
HAPs services
Conclusion

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Introduction

Basics

F Why wireless over wired

X User end perspective: Mobility(Convenience), Neater Environment
X Network end perspective
Wired infra problems : Terrain, Remote places (labour)
Other : Deployment difficulties, Initial Cost

F Basic wireless architecture

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Introduction

WWANs and HAPs

F Types of wireless network...

WBAN, WPAN, WMAN, WWANs(global connectivity)

F HAPs = ?
F WWANs: Conventional methods for wireless service
X Voice: Cellular N/ws (GSM, CDMA)
Satellite phones(Iridium n/w)
X Data: Mobile Broadband
Satellite Internet access,
WiMAX
X HAPs - Voice and Data

Figure 1 : Sat
phone

F Shortcomings of present methods

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Introduction

HAPs: WSPs Basic Comparison

Wireless Service Providers[1]

 Conventional
1

Terrestrial
Shortcomings : Maintenance, Coverage Area
Adv : Propagation Delay
Satellite (LEO, GEO)
Shortcomings : Throughput degradation, Deployment, Latency
Adv : Large Area Coverage

 HAPs
Quasistationary aerial platforms in stratosphere(17-22km altitude) [2]
Acts as AP, Very tall antennas or a very low LEO
Service area : Wireless Broadband, Cellular services
Adv : Coverage area, Cost, Latency

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Introduction

HAPs

Figure 2 : HAPs System

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Aerial platforms

Types

Aerial platform Types

 Aerostatic: makes use of buoyancy to float in the air (lighter than air)
Makes use of a lifting gas in an envelope(hydrogen and helium)
I Balloon
I airships

Large Size.
 Aerodynamic: Uses dynamic forces
Quasi stationary - circular movement
Large Wings

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Aerial platforms

Types

(a) Airship

(b) Airplane

(c) Balloon
Figure 3 : Platform types

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Aerial platforms

Issues of Aerial Platforms

Issues

I Aeronautical platforms drawbacks

I Winds
I Stationary position problems
I Why 20Km?

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Aerial platforms

Advantages, Shortcomings

Other Advantages:
 Launching cost
 Incremental deployment
 Less ground based Infrastructure
 Maintenance - Short Landing and takeoff times
 Less Handover problem

Shortcomings:
 Refueling
 Stabilization in air

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Aerial platforms

Note on Regulations

Regulations

RF Spectrum regulations by ITU-R [3]

For inter Haps, 300 MHz in each direction in 47.2-47.5 & 47.9-48.2GHz
300 MHz segment of the band 27.528.35 GHz band was chosen
for fixed broadband
HAPS as base stations uses 1.885 - 2.160GHz Band

Aeronautical regulations - Civilian airspace, ATC

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WSP Comparison further

Comparison[4]:
Subject
Propagation delay
(Operational height)

Terrestrial

Satellite

HAPs

Low

Noticeable

Low

Table 1 : System Characteristics

WSP Comparison further

Comparison[4]:
Subject
Propagation delay
(Operational height)

Deployment Complexity

Terrestrial

Satellite

HAPs

Low

Noticeable

Low

High

Low
(especially in
remote
and high density
population area)

Medium
(more complex
to deploy in
the city area)

Table 1 : System Characteristics

WSP Comparison further

Comparison[4]:
Subject
Propagation delay
(Operational height)

Terrestrial

Satellite

HAPs

Low

Noticeable

Low

Deployment Complexity

Medium
(more complex
to deploy in
the city area)

High

BS Power supply

Electricity

Solar

Table 1 : System Characteristics

Low
(especially in
remote
and high density
population area)
Fuel (ideally solar)

WSP Comparison further

Comparison[4]:
Subject
Propagation delay
(Operational height)

Terrestrial

Satellite

HAPs

Low

Noticeable

Low

Deployment Complexity

Medium
(more complex
to deploy in
the city area)

BS Power supply

Electricity

Coverage Area Radius

5 km

High

Solar
A fewhundred
km for LEO

Table 1 : System Characteristics

Low
(especially in
remote
and high density
population area)
Fuel (ideally solar)
Typical 30 km

WSP Comparison further

Comparison[4]:
Subject
Propagation delay
(Operational height)

Terrestrial

Satellite

HAPs

Low

Noticeable

Low

Deployment Complexity

Medium
(more complex
to deploy in
the city area)

BS Power supply

Electricity

Coverage Area Radius

5 km

BS Maintenance

Complex
if multiple BSs
needed to update

High

Solar
A fewhundred
km for LEO
Impossible

Table 1 : System Characteristics

Low
(especially in
remote
and high density
population area)
Fuel (ideally solar)
Typical 30 km
Less complexity in
terms of
coverage area

WSP Comparison further

Comparison[4]:
Subject
Propagation delay
(Operational height)

Terrestrial

Satellite

HAPs

Low

Noticeable

Low

Deployment Complexity

Medium
(more complex
to deploy in
the city area)

BS Power supply

Electricity

High

Solar
A fewhundred
km for LEO

Coverage Area Radius

5 km

BS Maintenance

Complex
if multiple BSs
needed to update

Impossible

BS Cost

Well established
market,cost depending
on the companies

5 billion forIridium,
Very expensive

Table 1 : System Characteristics

Low
(especially in
remote
and high density
population area)
Fuel (ideally solar)
Typical 30 km
Less complexity in
terms of
coverage area
No specific number
but supposed to be
economical in
terms of coverage area

WSP Comparison further

Comparison[4]:
Subject
Propagation delay
(Operational height)

Terrestrial

Satellite

HAPs

Low

Noticeable

Low

Deployment Complexity

Medium
(more complex
to deploy in
the city area)

BS Power supply

Electricity

High

Solar
A fewhundred
km for LEO

Coverage Area Radius

5 km

BS Maintenance

Complex
if multiple BSs
needed to update

Impossible

BS Cost

Well established
market,cost depending
on the companies

5 billion forIridium,
Very expensive

Operational Cost

Medium to High in terms

of the number of BSs

High

Low
(especially in
remote
and high density
population area)
Fuel (ideally solar)
Typical 30 km
Less complexity in
terms of
coverage area
No specific number
but supposed to be
economical in
terms of coverage area
Medium(mainly
airship maintenance)

Table 1 : System Characteristics

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System Architecture

Configurations

System Configurations

 Standalone HAP System: Emergency, Disaster relief, Large-scale

high-demand scattered events(Dasara, Olympics, social gathering)

 Multiple interconnected HAPs: If switching Payload - Independent of

terrestrial networks(interplatform links), else ground stations,

coverage and capacity increase, demo in Japan(16) & Greece(18) .
 Integration of HAPs & terrestrial systems
 Integrated satellite/HAPs system
 Terrestrial-HAP-satellites system

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System Architecture

Configurations

Standalone HAP System[5]

Figure 4 : The standalone HAP configuration for temporal or permanent coverage

of a specific area.

Figure 5 : The standalone HAP configuration for temporal or permanent coverage

of a specific area.
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System Architecture

Configurations

System Configurations
Multiple interconnected HAPs

Figure 6 : A constellation of multiple interconnected HAPs.

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System Architecture

Configurations

System Configurations
Integration of HAPs & terrestrial systems

Figure 7 : HAP as an integrated element in the terrestrial infrastructure

Figure 8 : HAP as an integrated element in the terrestrial infrastructure

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System Architecture

Configurations

System Configurations
Integrated satellite/HAPs system

Figure 9 : HAP as the first/last mile of the satellite network in integrated

satellite/HAP system.

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System Architecture

Configurations

System Configurations
Terrestrial-HAP-satellites system

Figure 10 : Integrated terrestrial/HAPs/satellites system for global connectivity

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System Architecture

Future Networks

Figure 11 : Conceptual framework of integration of all communication networks

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System Architecture

Future Networks

Figure 12 : Multilayer approach for integrated scenarios.

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HAPs services

Global Telecomm services

 Broadband Wireless Access (BWA)
 Beyond 3G Services
 Multicast/Broadcast Services
 Emergency and Disaster Recovery Services.
 Mega events
 Backhaul Interconnection via HAPs

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Conclusion

F Challenges
Multilayer - best path, Power consumption, Energy storage, Cost
Cognitive radio: Dynamic spectrum management
F Conclusion
1st emergency and disaster relief(Manned,Tethered > Unmanned)
Remote areas
Then Integrating with terrestrial
Hot spot, broadcast/multicast applications.

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REFERENCES

REFERENCES
[1] A. Mohammed, A. Mehmood, F.-N. Pavlidou, and M. Mohorcic, The role of
high-altitude platforms (haps) in the global wireless connectivity,
Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 99, no. 11, pp. 19391953, 2011.
[2] S. Karapantazis and F. Pavlidou, Broadband communications via
high-altitude platforms: a survey, Communications Surveys & Tutorials,
IEEE, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 231, 2005.
[3] J. M. Park, B. J. Ku, and D. S. Oh, Technical and regulatory studies on
haps, in GLOBECOM Workshops, 2008 IEEE, pp. 15, IEEE, 2008.
[4] A. Mohammed, Z. Yang, et al., Broadband communications and applications
from high altitude platforms, Aceee International Journal on
Communication, vol. 1, no. 1, 2010.
[5] T. H. Chauhan, S. Agarwal, S. Purohit, and A. Kumar, Wireless
communications from high altitude platforms,

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Appendix

(a) Microwave bands

A. Frequency bands

(b) Cellular bands

Figure 13 : Frequency bands

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