Airborne communications network uses balloons

MIT Technology Review : For times when communications systems may become overwhelmed or incapacitated, such as during an earthquake or a major sporting event, a system to augment the local cell phone coverage has been proposed. A German company called TriaGnoSys has been developing a rapidly deployable wireless network that uses airborne base stations suspended from balloons. The kite-shaped objects, called Helikites , can carry 10 kg of instruments to an altitude of 4 km and remain airborne for several days. By linking to both terrestrial and satellite telecommunications systems, the Helikites could provide much-needed backup for vital communications infrastructures.