Elefante Group wants FCC to open 5G spectrum in 22 GHz, 23 GHz, 26 GHz, 70 GHz and 80 GHz bands
Startup The Elefante Group wants to provide wide area 5G coverage from “airships” located 65,000 feet above earth. The firm, which is working Lockheed Martin on the project, has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to consider opening up spectrum in the 22 GHz, 23 GHz, 26 GHz, 70 GHz and 80 GHz bands. And now Facebook, which has itself dabbled in delivering broadband from airborne delivery systems, is throwing its support behind the novel concept, according to an Aug. 15 filing with the FCC.
A priority for the social media giant is “connecting the unconnected and under-connected,” according to the reply comment submitted by Christopher Weasler, Facebook’s director of global connectivity. “As such, Facebook has supported research and development efforts in a range of technologies, including terrestrial, mobile, satellite, and high altitude platform stations [HAPS].” Facebook lent its support to Elefante’s request the FCC consider rule changes “to enable the deployment of stratospheric services including HAPS.”
Elefante CEO Chris DeMarche and legal reps, in a separate Aug. 15 communication to the FCC, laid out the company’s vision for 5G: Stratospheric-Based Communications Services (SBCS) “is a fixed service because it will provide communications paths between fixed points on the ground, namely two (or more) user terminals…or between [user terminals and gateway stations, switched through overhead stratospheric platform stations [STRAPS]…stationed at nominally fixed points.”
The airships, pointedly described as fundamentally different from balloons, are envisioned as having “significant control, power and propulsion” along with aeronautic and navigational functions that would let the vehicle stay over a coverage area and potentially remain in service for more than 10 years, according to the company.
The Elefante Group indicated it is able to operate in the targeted spectrum in a way that would not impact incumbent users. Use cases for this type of connectivity could include wide area coverage, IoT support and mobile network backhaul.
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