Innovation always catches my eye. Innovation for investors and users, businesses or consumers is always exciting. Airborne Wireless Network is a young company with an innovative idea to solve a real problem. They want to use flying aircraft to create a global wireless network and provide connectivity and service in areas that don’t have it today. If it works, this is a brilliant idea. So, does it work? If so, can it gain traction?
They say that they’re the developer of the world’s first and only airborne wholesale carrier network. They say the idea is a global network at a fraction of the cost. They say that they are poised to create the future of airborne connectivity. While this sounds exciting if it works, there are quite a few questions that have to be answered first.
The network was conceived nearly 20 years ago at a time when the Internet was a luxury only a few could afford. Over time, the founder of Airborne Wireless Network had a vision to create the first, global, data pipeline or as they call it, an airborne digital superhighway. They wanted to provide worldwide broadband using commercial aircraft.
AWN Uses Commercial Aircraft as Mini-Satellites to Create Wireless Network
While this sounds like a huge breakthrough, bringing signal to far off lands, deserts, mountains and oceans, I have lots of questions. They say it creates a worldwide network, but the world is a pretty big place. I can see how when a plane is overhead, there can be signal, but what about when the plane is nowhere in sight?
They say planes would all be linked together creating a huge network in the sky. I can see a network between planes. This could be a potential competitor to companies like GoGo wireless providing connectivity while in-flight. I don’t yet understand yet how that connectivity can blanket the earth between planes. Especially when there is a great distance in many spots.
AWN says they will use commercial aircraft as mini-satellites creating a network with meshed-redundancy. They say the two most important advantages over traditional single-link satellite or cell tower technology are, greater throughput and nearly 100 percent real-time connectivity. Not stored and forwarded.
This sounds good. If they have solved this problem, this could indeed be a real solution to a real problem. So, this is their plan. They have obviously thought it through. They are running television advertising on financial networks like CNBC to bring attention to themselves.
While this sounds like a great idea, I need to learn more. As I learn more, I will share that with you. Today, let’s just appreciate this as a brilliant idea with a real market if they have figured a way to solve the connectivity problem on a global basis. Let’s hope this works.
Jeff Kagan is an Equities.com columnist. Kagan is a Wireless Analyst, Telecom Analyst, Industry Analyst, speaker and consultant. He follows wireless, wire line, telecom, Internet, cable TV, IPTV, Cloud, Mobile Pay, FinTech and communications technology. Email him at [email protected]. His web site is www.jeffKAGAN.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffkagan.
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