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CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION Wireless communication is simply data communication without the use of landlines. This may involve cellular telephone, two-way radio, fixed wireless (broadband wireless), laser (freespace optics) or satellite communication systems. Mobile wireless technologies are going to act as glue towards bringing together the wired and wireless to share and distribute information seamlessly across each others areas of reference. Since from the beginning of wireless communications, there have been a number of developments in each generation. Considering the future generation of wireless communication i.e; 4G. Stratellite is a brand name trademark of Sanswire for a future emissions-free, highaltitude stratospheric airship that provides a stationary communications platform for various types of wireless signals usually carried by communications towers or satellites. The Stratellite is a concept that has undergone several years of research and development, and is not yet commercially available; Sanswire, with its partner TAO Technologies, anticipates its current testing sequence to include the launch of a Stratellite into the stratosphere.

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CHAPTER-2 2.1 1st Generation communication :

1G, which stands for "first generation," refers to the first generation of wireless telecommunication technology, more popularly known as cellphones. A set of wireless standards developed in the 1980's, 1G technology replaced 0G technology, which featured mobile radio telephones and such technologies as Mobile Telephone System (MTS), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMTS), Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS), and Push to Talk (PTT). Unlike its successor, 2G, which made use of digital signals, 1G wireless networks used analog radio signals. Through 1G, a voice call gets modulated to a higher frequency of about 150MHz and up as it is transmitted between radio towers. This is done using a technique called Frequency-Division Multiple Access (FDMA). In terms of overall connection quality, 1G compares unfavorably to its successors. It has low capacity, unreliable handoff, poor voice links, and no security at all since voice calls were played back in radio towers, making these calls susceptible to unwanted eavesdropping by third parties.

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2.2 2nd Generation communication :

2G (or 2-G) is short for second-generation wireless telephone technology. Second generation 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja(now part of Elisa Oyj) in 1991.Three primary benefits of 2G networks over their predecessors were that phone conversations were digitally encrypted; 2G systems were significantly more efficient on the spectrum allowing for far greater mobile phone penetration levels; and 2G introduced data services for mobile, starting with SMS text messages. After 2G was launched, the previous mobile telephone systems were retrospectively dubbed 1G. While radio signals on 1G networks are analog, radio signals on 2G networks are digital. Both systems use digital signaling to connect the radio towers (which listen to the handsets) to the rest of the telephone system. 2G has been superseded by newer technologies such as 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, and 4G; however, 2G networks are still used in many parts of the world. 2G technologies can be divided into TDMA-based and CDMA-based standards depending on the type of multiplexing used. The main 2G standards are:


GSM (TDMA-based), originally from Europe but used in almost all countries on all six inhabited continents. Today accounts for over 80% of all subscribers around the world. Over 60 GSM operators are also using CDMA2000 in the 450 MHz frequency band (CDMA450).

IS-95 aka cdmaOne (CDMA-based, commonly referred as simply CDMA in the US), used in the Americas and parts of Asia. Today accounts for about 17% of all subscribers globally. Over a dozen CDMA operators have migrated to GSM including operators in Mexico, India, Australia and South Korea.

 

PDC (TDMA-based), used exclusively in Japan iDEN (TDMA-based), proprietary network used by Nextel in the United States and Telus Mobility in Canada.

IS-136 a.k.a. D-AMPS (TDMA-based, commonly referred as simply 'TDMA' in the US), was once prevalent in the Americas but most have migrated to GSM.

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2.3 3rd Generation communication :

3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile

Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications by the International Telecommunication Union. Application services include wide-area wireless voice telephone, mobile

Internet access, video calls and mobile TV, all in a mobile environment. Several telecommunications companies market wireless mobile Internet services as 3G, indicating that the advertised service is provided over a 3G wireless network. Services advertised as 3G are required to meet IMT-2000 technical standards, including standards for reliability and speed (data transfer rates). To meet the IMT-2000 standards, a system is required to provide peak data rates of at least 200 kbit/s (about 0.2 Mbit/s). However, many services advertised as 3G provide higher speed than the minimum technical requirements for a 3G service. Recent 3G releases, often denoted 3.5Gand 3.75G, also provide mobile broadband access of

several Mbit/s to smartphones and mobile modems in laptop computers. The following standards are typically branded 3G:


the UMTS system, first offered in 2001, standardized by 3GPP, used primarily in Europe, Japan, China (however with a different radio interface) and other regions predominated by GSM 2G system infrastructure. The cell phones are typically UMTS and GSM hybrids. Several radio interfaces are offered, sharing the same infrastructure:
 

The original and most widespread radio interface is called W-CDMA. The TD-SCDMA radio interface was commercialised in 2009 and is only offered in China.

The latest UMTS release, HSPA+ can provide peak data rates up to 56 Mbit/s in the downlink in theory (28 Mbit/s in existing services) and 22 Mbit/s in the uplink.

the CDMA2000 system, first offered in 2002, standardized by 3GPP2, used especially in North America and South Korea, sharing infrastructure with the IS-95 2G standard. The

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cell phones are typically CDMA2000 and IS-95 hybrids. The latest release EVDO Rev B offers peak rates of 14.7 Mbit/s downstream. The above systems and radio interfaces are based on kindred spread spectrum radio transmission technology. While the GSM EDGE standard ("2.9G"), DECT cordless phones and Mobile WiMAX standards formally also fulfill the IMT-2000 requirements and are approved as 3G standards by ITU, these are typically not branded 3G, and are based on completely different technologies. A new generation of cellular standards has appeared approximately every tenth year since 1G systems were introduced in 1981/1982. Each generation is characterized by new frequency bands, higher data rates and non backwards compatible transmission technology. The first release of the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard does not completely fulfill the ITU 4G requirements called IMT-Advanced. First release LTE is not backwards compatible with 3G, but is a pre-4G or 3.9G technology, however sometimes branded "4G" by the service providers. Its evolution LTE Advanced is a 4Gtechnology. WiMAX is another technology verging on or marketed as 4G.

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2.4 4th Generation communication :

To achieve the goals of true broadband cellular service, the systems have to make the leap to a fourth-generation (4G) network. 4G is intended to provide high speed, high capacity, low cost per bit, IP based services. The goal is to have data rates up to 20 Mbps. Most probable the 4G network would be a network which is a combination of different technologies (current cellular networks, 3G cellular network, wireless LAN, etc.) 4G-cellular systems should not only be high-speed but also high-capacity, with low bit cost, high capacity with reasonable frequency bandwidth, the cell radius of 4G-cellular systems shall be decreased from that of present cellular systems.

4G Mobile Communication Systems

Some of the systems for future mobile communications are: 1. Broad-Band Wireless Systems 2. Intelligent Transport Systems 3. High Altitude Stratospheric Platform Station Systems.

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CHAPTER-3 3.1 High Altitude Stratosphere Platform Station Systmes (HAPS) :

HAPS has the potential to become the third communications infrastructure after terrestrial and satellite communications. The platforms keep their positions at about 20 km high in the stratosphere. By optical intercommunication links, they make a mesh-like network in the sky. A broadband access link is the link between the platform station and the user station. The typical bit rate of the access link is 25 Mb/s for most fixed and portable terminals, while a several hundred megabits per second link is available for limited fixed terminals with antennas larger than the typical ones. Because of using millimeter-wave bands, a small antenna with high gain is feasible. For example, a bit rate of 144 kb/s can be provided for vehicles by only a 5 cm dish antenna with 20 dB gain.

Fig i : Simple HAPS System

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3.2 STRATELLITE
A stratellite is a high-altitude airship (HAA) 25 times larger than the Goodyear blimp employed much like a satellite for remote sensing, navigation, and communications. Instead of being stationed on orbit, stratellites are positioned in the stratosphere approximately 13 miles above the Earth. This altitude places the airships above both commercial air traffic and weather effects but significantly lower than standard low earth orbits. From this height stratellites can service a 300,000-square-mile-area. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) projects that eleven such airships could provide radar coverage of the entire maritime and southern borders of the United States.

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3.3 Construction of Stratellites :

The initial Stratellite was 188 feet long, 60 feet wide and 42 feet high. It is provided with a new steering met hod which uses a hybrid electric system that drives large, slow-turning propellers. This gives the airship helicopter-like agilit y by being able to mo ve both up and down, and side to side. The outside layer, or "envelope," is made out of a high-tech material called Spectra - a fabric used in bullet-proof vests and parts of space shuttles. Spectra contains fibre 10 t imes as strong as steel o f the same weight and has the unique feature of being easy to cut but virtually impossible to tear.

Fig iii : construction of a stratellite

The inide layer, made from a thin but strong polyester film called Mylar, is fitted inside the envelope and filled wit h a mixture of helium and air as helium is an inert gas and is therefore not flammable. Wit h this design, the helium expands as the airship rises, forcing air out and lift ing the airship. The cycle cont inues, allowing the airship to gain more and more alt itude unt il the heliu m has expanded to fill the envelope completely. Because the pressure is so DEPT ECE Page 9

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low inside the envelope, a puncture would only result in a very slow leak, taking a lo ng t ime to totally deflate. projected to carry payloads as large as 4,000 pounds, and later models are expected to carry over 20,000 pounds of radars and other remote imaging equipment, navigational aids, and telecommunications relays. Stratellites are planned to remain on station for a year at a time and will cost a fifth as much as a comparable satellite.

Fig iv : construction model of MALE stratellite

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CHAPTER-4

4.1 Stratellite technology and Advantages :

Stratellites are actually unmanned Kevlar balloons filled with helium. They use thin-film photovoltaic cells sprayed on their surfaces to generate electricity, which drives propellers that work with GPS technology to keep the stratellite positioned over one spot on the Earths surface. Prototype airships are the second drawback is that satellites are in space, requiring expensive space launches, an additional level of regulation by national space authorities, and an orbital allotment by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Stratellites remain in national airspace and are therefore not subject to these licensing and technology requirements. However, they do make use of space technology and, as stated above, are in development by at least one space industry firm.

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4.2 Drawbacks of Stratellites :

These firms are becoming involved with stratellites because they avoid the two main drawbacks of satellites. The first is signal latency, which can cause problems in establishing broadband links.Most telecommunications satellites are in geostationary orbit to remain above a certain point on the Earths surface. That orbit, however, is 22,240 miles above the Earth, (i.e; in the area called CLARKES BELT), which means that a signal going up to the satellite(uplink) and back to the Earth(downlink) travels nearly 45,000 miles, which equates to about a quarter of a second delay. Even users of satellite voice links notice the delay.

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CHAPTER-5 5.1 Services :

At an altitude of 13 miles, each Stratellite will have clear line-of-site communications capability to an entire major metropolitan area as well as being able to provide coverage across major rural areas. The idea, if successful, would be revolutionary for underserved areas where broadband is not as popular because the areas are too expensive to reach by telephone or cable network. Existing satellites provide easy download capabilities, but because of their high altitude are not practical or commercially viable for a two-way high speed data communication. The Stratellite will allow subscribers to easily communicate in both directions using readily available wireless technology. This means that subscribers can send and receive information using the network, like the current broadband internet system but, without the wires, cables and cellular towers.

5.2 Applications it Enables :

Once a Stratellite network is in place, it will provide a national broadband wireless network that will provide voice, video, and broadband internet access to all parts of the country. By linking several Stratellites together they can provide a wireless broadband network that will cover thousands of miles. With a Stratellite network, subscribers will be able to sit in their homes and be connected on their laptops to the internet at high speed. If subscribers need to go to the office, across town, or even to another city, they can close their laptop and take off, reopening the laptop at their new destination and still be connected to the internet. This would allow subscribers the ease of not having to find local access numbers, tie up phone lines, deal with modem hassles, and more importantly, slow speeds. In addition to internet use, proposed telecommunications uses include cellular, 3G/4G mobile, MMDS, fixed wireless telephony, HDTV, real-time surveillance and others.

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5.3 Stratellites and Telecommunications :

Stratellites offer a window of telecommunications opportunity. Effectively, a Stratellite positioned over a major metropolitan area could act as a cell tower thirteen miles high. A Stratellite, equipped with the appropriate transponders, could manage the wireless needs of that entire metropolitan area. Transponder access could be leased to broadband users such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs), cell phone companies, television networks, radio stations, various levels of government, and to corporations with large broadband requirements. These consumers could then resell access to end users, for residential Internet access, for example.

None of this type of business or wireless use is innovative, so existing regulatory schemes and business models cover Stratellite communications. In fact, Stratellites employed in this manner would make use of existing spectrum allocations, at least initially, and not require expensive bandwidth acquisition. Additionally, the marketing of such links would be virtually identical to current marketing. By increasing the utility and availability of the type of link that has, until now, been restricted to satellites, firms can bring broadband links to new areas, provide for increased usage, and service larger markets without any fundamental change in operations.

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CHAPTER-6

6.1 Stratellites challenges and business opportunities :

Though the opportunities for increasing broadband links and for profit are enormous, Stratellites are still in their infancy. They present several problems that have yet to be fully addressed. The public may be concerned about such large, unmanned payloads stationed above metropolitan areas and recent developments in sub-orbital flight could eventually lead to traffic problems in the stratosphere. More importantly, critics question whether technology really exists that can keep Stratellites on station for such long periods of time. Once these concerns are overcome and working Stratellites are available, the potential exists for vastly expanding broadband links. Some telecommunications providers, such as Sanswire Technologies, have recognized this marketing opportunity and already have formed joint ventures with the space industry and balloon-makers. However, in addition to marketing, Stratellites will require ground control and maintenance, and used Stratellites will require refurbishment before redeployment, tasks which the manufacturers and marketers may well lack the capacity or desire to perform. As broadband requirements increase, Stratellites present a mobile, low-cost, highcapacity alternative to satellite relays and cell towers. In remote areas, over the oceans, in metropolises, and in areas stricken by disaster, Stratellites will immediately provide broadband access and broadcast capacity. Prototypes are in testing and development now. The potential benefits of Stratellites are so great that it is not a question of whether the technological problems will be solved, but when. Soon Stratellites will be bringing the Internet, cell phone access, radar monitoring, and radio and television service to all corners of the globe.

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6.2 Marketability and Cost :

In addition to providing two-way communication, Stratellites make more sense than wireless systems and satellites: (1) there is no use of huge ugly cellular towers, since they are in orbit, and (2) they are far cheaper to launch, maintain and upgrade than satellites. However, there are still two big concerns: if Stratellites will actually work, and their cost as launching things into space (or near space) can be costly. Using wireless equipment, a company would have to install over 14,000 cellular towers to cover the same area as Snaswires proposed Stratellite based national wireless network. That

means that there will be over 14,000 more ugly towers to hide. In addition, this technology will make the need for expensive cabling obsolete. One of the many advantages our High Altitude Airships have over satellite technology is that the payload can easily be recovered, upgraded, and re-launched in a matter of hours. Thus, each airship can be retrieved and re-used. Even if these costs are kept down Stratellites do not come without problems or doubters. They have to float inside 200 to 300 meter box and thats hard for an airship. After you solve that problem, you have to create a service that can perform better and cheaper than DSL. In addition, Stratellites are susceptible to the same kinds of interferences that satellite systems currently are. Overall, the idea of a Stratellite wireless network seem to be marketable in the sense that they would be more cost effective than satellites and cellular towers, and with the proper testing they potentially have the ability to turn the whole country in one giant hot spot. This is

something that from judging by the popularity and use of hotspots the nation is ready for.

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CHAPTER-7

7.1 Conclusion :
Stratelites provide the required facilit ies of wireless co mmunicat ion more efficient ly than the ordinary towers. The Stratellite will allo w subscribers to easily co mmunicate in both direct ions using readily available wireless techno logy. They minimise the cost of communicat ion. Stratellites present a mobile, low-cost, high-capacit y alternat ive to satellite relays and cell towers. Once the defects of Stratellites have been overco me and beco me more reliable, the y play a vital role in the future generat ion wireless communicat ion.

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CHAPTER-8

Reference :

1. www.google.co.in 2. www.yahoosearch.com 3. www.howstuffworks.com 4. 21st Century Airships, Inc., High Altitude Platforms, at http://www.21stcenturyairships.com/ 5. Geostationary Orbits, in Wikipedia, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_orbit (last accessed Sept. 28, 2004).

6. TWUF, Broadband Takes to the Skiesrt Techdirt, Get Your Wireless Broadband By Stratellite,

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