Capanina

Capanina

This is an EU funded initiative to trial HAP (High Altitute Platform) systems. If it works it offers a sensible way of getting broadband to rural areas (and trains) where traditional broadband isn't available.

The HAPs themselves will use a combination of radio and free space optics to communicate between HAPs, while end users will have to have a trackable satellite-like dish. Trains and moving objects will use electronically steerable antennae.

In theory it should work, at 20Km they're above commercial air traffic and there's lots of sunlight making solar panels effective.

Also 120Mb/s to an end-user might make moving to the country a real improvement to city life.