Oceus Networks, Space Data file airborne LTE test results with FCC

This approach did expose of some technical challenges, including interference between the airborne LTE signal and the signals transmitted by a radio located at the cell edge of the PSCR terrestrial demonstration network, Sharp said. In addition, the sudden drop in temperature experienced as the base station rose to 70,000 feet negatively impacted some components, he said.

Both of these issues could be resolved relatively easily in a commercial setting by providing limited backhaul to allow synchronization of airborne and terrestrial LTE systems and by developing components to deal with the high-altitude environment, Sharp said.

“This was not a hardened product,” he said. “This was, ‘What can I take off the shelf and utilize for this experiment and get full performance for a reasonable amount of cost?’

“It was Frankenstein, but it generally worked.”

There are other methods to deliver LTE signals from an airborne platform, Patterson said, noting that Oceus Networks is working with the military on some of these options.

“We tested the balloon-based delivery platform, but your delivery method will be a function of the mission you’re trying to achieve. If it was a rural plane crash in Nevada, perhaps an aircraft is a better mode of transportation or a helicopter or a tethered aerostat [balloon].

“It’s the same technology, and it’s the same payload. It would just be a function of how you deliver it and how long you’re going to be without a ground station.”

 Oceus Networks and Space Data provided the filing as part of the FCC’s proceeding to examine the feasibility of Deployable Aerial Communications Architecture (DACA). Oceus Networks has discussed the notion of airborne data service with FirstNet, but FirstNet officials are “focused on the terrestrial part” of its proposed broadband system at the moment, Patterson said.