Providing telecommunications services for rural areas from the HAP (High Altitude Platform): a case study in the region of Hungary

The use of HAPs (high altitude platforms), either aircraft or airships operating at 17-22 km altitude, for the provisioning of broadband wireless services is being considered in various national and international projects because HAP based telecommunications networks have the potential to deliver a range of communications services and other applications cost effectively (e.g. broadband and third-generation mobile for rural area). In this paper, we present an investment-profitability analysis of the provision of telecommunication services from HAPs in the chosen rural area of West Hungary. In order to do so, we propose a methodology. We perform the cost-model calculations about investment volumes following the analysis of the sustainability of the financial constitutions in connection with the telecommunication service from HAPs. The first result of the case study shows that the telecommunication service provision from HAPs can be affordable in the Hungarian rural area