Aalto HAPS extends Zephyr UAS connectivity to the Caribbean

Aalto HAPS (Farnborough, U.K.), the new name for Airbus’ high altitude platform station (HAPS) technology business, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with mobile network operator Paradise Mobile (Hamilton, Bermuda) to introduce HAPS-based solutions to the region.

Aalto HAPS is an Airbus subsidiary that provides services from its Zephyr solar-powered aircraft for mobile connectivity, platform mobility, Earth observation and government applications. Zephyr is a fixed-wing, solar-powered, net-zero composite aircraft that is “designed to reconquer the stratosphere through eternal flight,” according to a BBC article. Whether day or night, Zephyr is capable of low-latency, direct-to-device 4G/5G services, acting as a tower in the sky with the capability to complement terrestrial networks. 

With this partnership, Paradise Mobile will have access to Aalto’s solutions, when the company rolls out commercial services in 2024, to enable Paradise Mobile to provide services to subscribers within the vast coverage areas that HAPS can provide. In addition, HAPS solutions can serve to augment coverage during critical events and can be deployed quickly and easily.

“We are pleased to count Paradise Mobile, the next-gen mobile network operator leading digital innovations in the Caribbean region, as one of our pioneering partners looking into HAPS as an efficient, sustainable and an environmentally friendly new stratospheric layer of connectivity to deliver service, and add new reach beyond current infrastructure,” Samer Halawi, CEO of Aalto HAPS, says. “Our solutions offer a service that saves and improves lives.”

Read about a similar partnership with Japan-based Space Compass and Saudi Arabian telecommunications provider Salam.