U.K. telecoms tech developer Stratospheric Platforms announced this week a successful demonstration of 5G broadband connectivity using an airborne antenna. The company said it maintained a 5G signal for five hours from a “stratospheric 5G mast” operating at 45,000 feet (ca. 14 km), with download speeds up to 90 megabits per second.
Richard Deakin, Stratospheric Platforms’ CEO, called the event “momentous” for the telecoms industry, proving that 5G can be reliably beamed down from the upper atmosphere.
Engineers connected a 5G base station, airborne antenna, and retail mobile devices during the test. The antenna projected a 5G signal to an area of 450 square kilometers (173.75 square miles), said the company.
