Besides that "high-speed direct-to-device internet" caught my attention. Are you planning on competing with Starlink? Is 20km high enough to cover a big enough area?
There is definitely some market overlap in wireless telecommunications. But there are some distinct differences with satellite services. One big one is that our aircraft isn’t in orbit, so it’s much easier for us to provide targeted coverage over a specific area without needing a full constellation. Flying at 20 km also puts us much closer to users which makes high-speed direct-to-device service (5G) a lot easier.
In terms of coverage, from that altitude, we have good line of sight coverage over large areas. Obviously, satellites can cover wider areas, but it turns out that in most suburban/rural settings the ground footprint becomes limited by the population density and bandwidth available - so the larger satellite footprint is only really useful in extremely remote locations.
In terms of coverage, from that altitude, we have good line of sight coverage over large areas. Obviously, satellites can cover wider areas, but it turns out that in most suburban/rural settings the ground footprint becomes limited by the population density and bandwidth available - so the larger satellite footprint is only really useful in extremely remote locations.