02.22.02
CNN
by Marsha Walton
High-Flying Answer to Cell Phone Coverage Gaps?
(CNN) — Cell phones and weather balloons — what's the connection? Combining these two technologies could someday mean more widespread, and more stable connections for mobile phone users.
That annoying, deal-killing, "no service" text on your phone screen could pop up a lot less frequently.
Space Data Corp. is in discussion with the United States National Weather Service to add wireless repeaters to the 70 balloons already launched each day in the continental U.S. to gather data for forecasters.
"Only about 10 percent of the U.S. land mass is actually covered by digital wireless service," says Space Data CEO Jerry Knoblach. Each of the Weather Service balloons covers a 360-mile diameter circle. A network of those balloons, hovering at 100,000 feet, (about 20 miles up) could fill in the blanks in areas where providing wireless services with conventional towers is considered too expensive.
"And unlike a satellite network, which requires specialized equipment, we work with existing user devices, the pagers and cell phones you carry around today," says Knoblach.
Company developers showed off their six-pound payload at the DEMO 2002 conference in Phoenix, Arizona, last week. For the past 12 years this IDG technology show has helped launch hundreds of new products. (IDG is a content partner with CNN.com.)