The current communications industry has literally reached for the stars, with space becoming not a final but a financial frontier for networks. Looking to tap into the space between, NTT Docomo and Abside Networks have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) towards the development of a future infrastructure using high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) and realisation of next-generation networks taking advantage of artificial intelligence (AI).
HAPS is an area generally defined by unmanned aerial platforms that operate in the stratosphere at an altitude of approximately 20 kilometres. By equipping the platforms with wireless communications equipment, HAPS is being studied as a means of providing coverage in areas that have traditionally been difficult to serve, including airspace and maritime regions, as well as underserved locations such as sparsely populated and mountainous regions where conventional coverage has not been economically viable.
Moreover, players in the industry regard the stratosphere as offering an optimal vantage point: it is close enough to Earth for high-capacity connectivity and observation, yet the altitude is high enough for wide-area reach. Potentially importantly, the stratosphere offers space-like conditions without the cost of being in space and the disadvantages of being in orbit.
At the background of the MoU are studies and demonstrations that Docomo has been conducting toward the realisation of wide-area communications services utilising HAPS. The operator believes that to deliver high-quality communications services via HAPS, it is important to develop radio access networks (RANs) and communications equipment suited to the stratospheric environment.
As conditions in the stratosphere differ from those on the ground, communications equipment and network design must be adapted accordingly, requiring specialised knowledge and experience.
Through Project Loon – a stratospheric communications project led by Google that sought to provide communications services using high-altitude balloons – Abside has already developed knowledge and experience in stratospheric communications and has been engaged in the development of HAPS communications equipment and RAN technologies. It is also developing non-terrestrial network (NTN) technologies and AI-based network control technologies.
As a result, the two companies believe that their respective visions and technologies may be complementary and signed the MoU to jointly explore potential future collaboration toward networks that integrate the ground, stratosphere and space.
The two companies said that they will conduct joint studies toward future collaboration in areas including wide-area, high-capacity and massive-connectivity communications using HAPS, network control and data utilisation. Under their initiative, they will jointly study technical collaboration for the future use of HAPS.
The principal areas of study are system architectures for wide-area, high-capacity and massive-connectivity communications using HAPS; application of AI to demand forecasting and the control of beams, capacity, spectrum and interference in stratospheric RANs; collection and utilisation of data relating to communications quality, network operations and sensing in the stratosphere; future integration with external applications and service platforms.
In addition, the two companies will bring together their respective expertise and technologies and pursue joint studies toward the realisation of next-generation communications infrastructure utilising HAPS and AI.
This will include unmanned aerial platforms that operate in the stratosphere at an altitude of approximately 20 kilometres. By equipping the platforms with wireless communications equipment, the two firms noted that HAPS is being studied as a means of providing coverage in areas that have traditionally been difficult to serve. These include airspace and maritime regions, as well as underserved locations such as sparsely populated and mountainous regions where conventional coverage has not been economically viable.
Another key project is AI 3D Networks, AI3D, is a vision said to be central to 6G deployments of a single AI-driven network spanning terrestrial, stratospheric and space-based layers. It built on the foundation of Abside’s AI3DR RAN product lines.
