AIRBORNE INTERNET

Presented by:
S.Abbas Raza Rizvi
INTERNET TODAY
Mobile connectivity
Is a growing technology in our society today. Its growth is
fueled by the desire of people to remain connected to
"the network" even while traveling.
BROADAND
The word is just about every internet user’s these days is
“BROADBAND”. We have so mush more data to send
and download today, that is audio files, video files and
photos, that it’s clogging on our wimpy modems . Many
internet users are switching from to cable modems and
digital subscribers lines(DSLs) to increase their bandwidth.
SPEED
The need is a fast, reliable, secure, easy and quick
access of internet.
 Wired base connection
Conventional telephone lines, for example, are capable of transmitting only 56,000 bits
(56k) per second under ideal conditions - too slow and often unreliable for large file
transmission.

 Broadband
Cable or direct subscription lines (DSL) lines can handle up to 100 million bits per second
but the service is not widely available; setting up the infrastructure for a land-based
broadband network with universal access requires enormous investments in time, money
and resources.

 Satellite based wireless connection

Satellite-based Internet provides a way around the 'wired' problem - since data is sent
over the air, there are no physical limitations on the amount of data that can be
transmitted. The only problem with satellite Internet is a perceivable 'time lag' involved in
transmitting data to and from satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above the earth. A
second issue is the cost involved in sending an internet-capable satellite out of the earth's
atmosphere.
SO MANY PROBLEM BUT
Airborne Internet refers to installing a broadband network hub in an
aircraft flying at 52,000 to 69,000 feet above sea level - high enough
to be out of weather disturbances and way outside the flight
envelope of commercial aircraft.
PEER-To-PEER NETWORK
Airborne Internet is a private, secure and reliable peer-to-peer aircraft
communications network that uses the same technology as the commercial
Internet .
AIRCRAFT USED AS A HUB
The aircraft will provide Internet connection to places and establishments
within its range.
WEATHER REPORT
It is useful in providing the information about weather, surrounding airspace
environment and for aircraft-to-aircraft communications.
 ORIGIN
OF AIRBORNE INTERNET
Airborne Networking began as a Tech Center idea in support of the
NASA .

SATS Project proposed in July 1999. (But not limited to SATS aircraft.)

In December 2004, the JPDO published the NGATS Plan, validating
this premise, and institutionalizing a plan for network enabled
operations for the NASA (i.e. NGATS)

Angel Technologies is planning an airborne Internet network, called

High Altitude Long Operation (HALO) uses lightweight planes to circle
overhead and provide data delivery fast.

AeroVironment has teamed up with NASA on a solar-powered,

unmanned plane that would work like the HALO network.
SOURCE: NASA
 SMALL AIRCRAFT
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
(SATS)
• The hub and spoke system consisting of a handful of major air
carriers servicing only the largest of the country’s airports is at
or near saturation. To address this problem, NASA has
conceived of the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS).
• Supporting this new transportation concept is an Airborne
Internet (AI).
• “A client-server-based architecture will provide information
services on an “Airborne Internet” to support collaborative air
traffic management Aircraft and landing facilities will be
interconnected nodes in a high-speed digital
communications network providing instant identification and
information services on demand with seamless linking to the
global transportation system.” - Bruce Holmes, SATS Program
Manager, NASA
HOW AIRBORNE
INTERNET WILL WORK
Airborne-Internet systems will require that an antenna be attached to
the side of your house or work place.
 IMPLEMENTATION

THE PROTEUS-ANGEL TECHNOLOGIES MODEL

AIRCRAFT WHICH WILL CARRY NETWORK HUB
Proteus will fly at heights of 15.3 km and 18.3
km and cover an area upto 75 miles(120.7 km) in
diameter

PROTEUS AIRCRAFT
Weight 9,000 pounds at take-off
5,900 empty
Wingspan 77ft 7 inches(23.7 m)
Expandable to 92 ft
Length 56.3 ft (17.2 m)
Height 17.6 ft(5.4 m)
Engine 2 turbofan engines
2,300 pound of thrust
Range 18 hrs
Speed 65 knots(75 mph/120.7
kph) to 250 knots(288
mph/463.5 kph)

Source: Angel Technologies

 The heart of Proteus plane is one-ton airborne
network hub.

 Network hub consists of an antenna array and

electronics for wireless communication.

 A 18 foot dish underneath the plane is responsible

for reflecting high speed data signals from ground
station to your computer
IMPLEMENTATION(CONT.)

SKY STATION’S SOLAR POWERED BLIMP WHICH

WILL CARRY THEIR NETWORK HUB
 FLOATING ON AIR
• SKY STATION International is counting on its blimp in the race to
deliver high speed Internet access from high altitudes and call
them as lighter-than-air platforms.

• Each station would fly at an altitude of 13 miles(21 km) and

provide service to an area of approximately 7,500 miles(19,000
Sq km)

Source: Sky Station International

 ADVANTAGE

 Lower Costs

 Reduced Risks

Increase in productivity and economic

growth

Increased flexibility

Real Time
 CONCLUSION
• The commercial aviation’s hub and spoke system today are
badly overloaded.
• Thus, there is a need to bring into use the small and mid size
airports, which is only possible via the airborne internet
concept.
• If and when those planes and blimps start circling to
supplement our current modes of connection, downloading
the massive files we've come to crave for entertainment or
depend on for business purposes will be a snap -- even if we
live somewhere in that "last mile.“
• Airborne Internet will start out with a few obvious applications,
but as bandwidth capability increases, so will the number of
applications…… or will it be that the number of applications
will increase and in turn will create a demand for greater
bandwidth? Only time will tell…
 REFERRENCES
RESEARCH PAPERS
 Development of airborne internet architecture to support SATS-Trends and
Issue by Noel Schmidt, Dan Ball, Frank Adelstein, and Matt Stiller man
 Airborne Internet CIE: Applications Abound by-William J Hughes, Ralph Yost
 Airborne Internet/Collaborative Information Environment: Societal Trends
Make NOW the Right Time to Create the “Network In The Sky” by -William J
Hughes, Ralph Yost
 Airborne internet by- Kirk J. Swanson & Jason Judt -Architecture Technology
Corporation

OTHERS
 http://sats.nasa.gov
 www.howstuffsworks.com/airborneinternet
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_traffic_control
THANK YOU