Aerial platforms: a promising means of 3G communications

Cellular communications using aerial platforms (APs) is addressed. A set of key equations are derived that quantify the coverage area on the ground as a function of AP elevation. The formulation of contiguous terrestrial cells and their shapes using multi-beam antenna is described. We consider the deployment of an AP to provide terrestrial mobile radio communications for the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) operating in its wideband CDMA mode. The preliminary results shows that an AP at a height of 21 km provides a cell structure with up to 21 users per cell with a service rate of 8 kb/s in the 2.2 GHz band. These services can be provided over an area of radius 70 km with transmitted powers less than one watt.