Helikite Balloons Could Form Emergency LTE Network

Now here is an idea – should a kaiju suddenly appear off the Gulf of Mexico, or just like in the movies, giant monsters from the depths of the sea decide to make short work of humanity’s abodes by the beach, surely there will be areas where cellphone reception is down due to the phone’s network being dragged down alongside the wanton destruction that was wrought. Well, what can be done in such a situation then? How about Helikites?

Helikites are actually small load-bearing balloon-kite hybrids that can be launched in a jiffy in order to form a network of LTE or WLAN masts that are up to an altitude of 2.5 miles. This would ensure that data coverage is provided to the masses right after a natural (or unnatural) disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami happens. Sounding like something right out of Tony Stark’s lab, the standalone rugged suitcase, better known as a “Portable Land Rapid Deployment Unit,” will have all that is required needed for activation in tough conditions. Needless to say, such helikites will drift apart eventually, but at least in the immediate moment, folks would have access to an emergency LTE network.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Cellphones