04.01.02
KHOU.com
11 News / LifeStyles
by Mike Goldfein
Tapping into the Untapped Market For Rural Wireless Communications
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KHOU) — If you've ever lost your cell signal while driving in rural areas, then you know how frustrating it can be. Now imagine what it must be like for the millions of Americans who actually live in those areas. But soon the problem may be solved, by of all things, weather balloons.
It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while there is a low-tech way to solve a high-tech problem.
Every twelve hours, like clockwork, the U.S. weather service launches 70 biodegradable balloons from locations all across the country. They rise to 100,000 feet, gathering critical weather information, until 12 hours later they burst and the process repeats itself.
That gave Jerry Knoblach an idea. "Inside of it is a digital software radio. This does the magic of repeating the wireless signal to wide areas," said Knoblach.
Knoblach realized that the balloons would be an elegant way to provide wireless communication to 56 million Americans living in rural areas who still can't use pagers or cell phones. He and some friends formed a company, Space Data, and designed a lightweight relay device.
Seventy of them floating at 100,000 feet provide coverage that blankets the entire country.
In return for hitching a ride, Space Data will buy the balloons for the weather service, saving taxpayers $5 million a year.
"So the government is saving real money. Space Data is benefiting because we get a real experienced launch team to launch these for us, Knoblach said. "And the public is benefiting because they get communications everywhere."
When the balloons burst a small parachute will float the instrument packages back to earth. But at only $300 each they are considered disposable.
How can they afford that? Because the untapped market for wireless communications in rural areas is worth about $15 billion a year.
Space Data is going to begin testing the concept this summer.
In case you're wondering the balloon launches have been going on for 40 years and are mandated by international treaty.