Indiana has “launched” the first aerostat (small-scale blimp) used for rural connectivity in the United States. The non-profit Wabash Heartland Innovation Network (WHIN), in conjunction with RTO Wireless, developed the aerostat, which is floating above a bean field in Reynolds (IN), reported the Monticello Herald Journal.
The aerostat balloon, invented in France in the 1700s, requires a Kevlar cable to anchor it to the ground and takes up much less space than a traditional tower. According to the Herald Journal, it can potentially provide broadband speeds up to 20 miles from the anchored site and low-powered transmission for up to 50 miles. The aerostat is a component of the anticipated WHIN network, which includes 10 towers within the Reynolds region.
The aerostat achieves antenna heights of up to 2,000 feet above the ground, providing more coverage than a typical tower. The Herald Journal reported that this feature enables a lower total network cost. In addition, fully automated controls and real-time monitoring provide reliability.
WHIN’s network aims to close the digital divide for rural Indiana. Services will be offered in partnership with regional ISPs and will cover most of the 10-county WHIN region. Broadband speeds are expected to be similar to 5G in most areas, reported the Herald Journal.
Alivia Roberts, marketing and communications manager at WHIN, likened the aerostat solution to the electricity boom of the late 19th century. “On March 31, 1880, Wabash, Indiana, became the ‘First Electrically Lighted City in the World’ and now we want north-central Indiana to be the first in the country again to ‘turn the lights on’ of rural broadband using aerial innovation,” said Roberts.
“It took two generations of farmers in the rural parts of the Midwest to choose to adopt electricity about 100 years ago. We are still suffering in our country from the socio-economic divide caused by this lapse,” she added.
Roberts said WHIN focuses on the region’s under-investment in digitalization, preventing the “electricity” gap from reoccurring with broadband. WHIN is funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. and focuses on bringing smart IoT technology to north-central Indiana.
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