Stratospheric Platforms for Wireless Communications

Abstract

A quality-of-service-oriented medium access control "MAC" protocol is proposed for delivering multimedia services through a stratospheric aeronautical platform wireless communication system. The invented protocol exploits the statistical multiplexing of asynchronous transfer mode "ATM" technology. Combing the reservation- and contention-based access schemes in a single protocol allows the platform communication system at an altitu,de between 18-24 km to guarantee the servi :;e quality requirements for the 1 diverse services. 1

Exploiting the flexibility of the protocol as well as the

1ow encountered

propagation rate "VBR"

I delay of the wireless link pennit constant bit rate "CBR", variable bit

and available bit rate "ABR" services to be efficiently multiplexed

without violating quality constraints. The effects of channel capacity and its associated limitati0ns on the network performance are discussed and pragmatic solutions are suggested. Different service priority schemes such as first-input-first­ output "FIFO" and first-dropped-first-output "FDFO" are presented and numerical results are discussed. The obtained results dictate the wireless ATM "WATM" multimedia communication via stratospheric platforms as a promising means for the next-generation wireless communication systems.

The provision of wireless services to the Egyptian territory is proposed using a network of high altitude platforms "HAPs". The platforms are interconnected with optical interplatform links in order to provide all wireless communication system. The connection is directed from the source to the overlaying platform and routed from one platform to the other until the one that is analogous to the destination. Each platform serves a certain area that is divided into cells, with eaclt cell being covered by one beam of the antenna array onboard the platform. The system has the prom1se to swiftly provide wireless 1communication service anywhere in the teiTitory at a minimal cost that is cheaper and more robut than the wired counterpar ,.