SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS — New technology could bring mobile broadband to millions of Americans living rural areas lacking internet connectivity.<br /><br />Massachusetts firm Altaeros told IEEE Spectrum magazine their floating mobile broadband supertower platform is about 70 percent cheaper than normal broadband deployment.<br /><br />Floating at 250 meters, an autonomous aerostat carrying antennas and receivers is connected to a ground station by three tethers. One of these sends power and data to it.<br />The supertower is able to observe weather conditions and reorient itself accordingly. Altaeros says one can provide as much coverage as 30 broadband cell towers.<br /><br />Future applications of the technology could see it being deployed to disaster areas while being towed behind a truck. <br /><br />The supertowers could also help reduce carbon emissions, as developing countries often use diesel generators to power cell phone towers. According to Altaeros, a supertower powered by a generator can provide coverage to an area that would require 20 to 30 generators if covered by cell phone towers.
