Tethered telecommunications, broadcast, and monitoring systems

This paper reviews the TCOM aerostat technology of a stationary platform 3 km high whose operation and, specifically, onstation time is not encumbered by energy-supporting considerations. Operating from this platform, modern electronic equipment gains a substantial advantage in cost-effective area coverage. As applied to telecommunications, a system configured to the telephone requirements of a specific area can be fulfilled on a short term, wide application basis with the flexibility of expansion as the real growth of the area demands. A full range of direct broadcast-to-user services (TV, AM/FM, mobile radio, etc.) can be provided from the platform, blanketing an area in excess of 125,000 sq km. Further, the aerostat system can accommodate active or passive monitoring devices that have unique application to such difficult problems as control and protection of coastal areas. This paper concludes that the tethered aerostat is a unique system whose platform capability significantly enhances the use of modern electronic equipment to provide a broad range of cost-effective services with a very short time from conception to achievement of full system utilization.