Sceye Inc. launched a new, 270-foot blimp above Roswell, NM to provide broadband connectivity on Tuesday. The Albuquerque Journal reported that the 24-hour maiden voyage for the helium-filled airship could pave the way for statewide broadband.
According to Sceye CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, the company has successfully test-flown similar aircraft nine times since 2016. Still, the recent 24-hour cycle at 65,000 feet in the air is the longest to date. “It’s our Kitty Hawk moment,” said Frandsen. “After proving the technology this first time, we can then push out to 30, 60, or 90 days and beyond.”
The Sceye airship is powered during day flights by solar cells on the craft and at night with specially designed batteries that are charged using solar power. The Journal reported that if successful, the company could move forward with permanent flights using a fleet of five airships, bringing broadband to every corner of the state.
Along with Sceye, other companies (HAPSMobile Inc., Google Inc.) are developing high-altitude platform stations to reach underserved rural communities, including tribal locations in the U.S. and globally. This solution can help bridge the broadband gap and circumnavigate the difficulty and expense of building fiber networks or wireless technology in isolated locations.
Beyond broadband, the Sceye solution can also work for environmental monitoring, and according to Frandsen, New Mexico state agencies have already engaged the company. Sceye is also in talks with the state Department of Transportation regarding powering digital road-safety signs in remote areas.
Roswell-based Sceye will first focus on broadband, though. And Frandsen, known worldwide for developing ground-breaking medical technologies to fight malaria and other diseases, is no stranger to improving community standards. “My past businesses have helped to improve public health, food security, and safe drinking water,” he told the Journal. “Through Sceye, we can now help to close the world’s broadband gap and improve access to education, health, and economic development, while also combating climate change and other issues through monitoring services.”
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