On the use of HALE platforms as GSM base stations

We consider several issues regarding the use of a stratospheric, solar-powered, unmanned aerial vehicle named the Helios Platform (HeliPlat) as a mobile communications base station. This platform is currently being designed at Politecnico di Torino within the HeliNet project funded by the European Commission. The major potential of such a platform as a cellular base station is that it represents a cost-effective solution for the coverage of low-user-density, impervious, or sea regions. Moreover, it can be moved on demand, making it suitable to be used in emergency situations (e.g., real-time information for fire management or coverage of earthquake affected regions). Within this framework, we present a feasibility study of the use of the HeliPlat platform as a GSM base station. In particular, we examine the possible coverage, system power dynamics, delay variations, and the antenna characteristics, considering the constraints imposed by the GSM standard, and power consumption and weight constraints imposed on the payload by the platform technology