A group of researchers in Sweden have completed a successful trial this week, launching a 12,000 cubic meter weather balloon at an altitude of 24 kilometers. The balloon transmitted a steady data link at a transmission speed of 11Mbps.

This test is the latest in a series of efforts to prove that transmitting broadband Internet via lighter-than-air craft is not only technically feasible but economically practical. Ultimately, the goal is to launch balloons that can transmit at speeds that are much higher. Dr. David Grace, the projects' lead scientific officer, explained:

Proving the ability to operate a high data rate link from a moving stratospheric balloon is a critical step in moving towards the longer term aim of providing data rates of 120Mbps.

The team that launched this balloon consists of 14 different partners worldwide, including the research wing of British Telecom. The radio link equipment was designed by engineers at the University of York in the UK. The effort is being partly funded by the European Union (EU).

Is there really a need for transmission of broadband Internet by a fleet of balloons? The idea conjures up visions of a retro-futuristic world, a kind of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, where giant swaths of airships plow the skies in pursuit of Gwenneth Paltrow. But the idea has some practical merit. Wired connections aren't always available, and if they are, they can often be limited by the bandwidth of existing telephone cables. While many high-speed fiber-optic cables were laid down in the heady days of the dot com boom, they still reach only a fraction of the people who might want to use them. Satellite transmission, while fast and available over a large geographic area, has other issues. Satellites are extremely expensive to launch, and suffer from latency issues due to the speed of light. Anyone who has ever placed a transatlantic call over a geosynchronous satellite will have experienced the frustrating lag that disrupts the flow of conversation and can wreak havoc with online gaming.

Stratospheric balloons, on the other hand, cost less than a tenth the amount for the launch and communication infrastructure compared to satellites. They suffer none of the latency problems associated with satellites. Also, one airship could conceivably support more than a thousand times as many users as a satellite. Alan Gobbi, the marketing manager of the York Electronic Centre explained some possible applications for the technology:

One business model could be an alternative to wired access in suburban areas where costs of roll out are high. It could be offered on high-speed trains and in remote areas.

The next trial of the technology is scheduled for Japan, sometime next year.