Page 106 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

World First Trial of 5G HAPS Technology Takes Place in Saudi Arabia in The

Red Sea Project

UK company Stratospheric Platforms Limited
(SPL), a partner of German telecommunications
company Deutsche Telekom (DT) has
successfully trialed pioneering technology
that provides 5G network coverage from the
stratosphere. Conducted on February 5th at
The Red Sea Project site on Saudi Arabia’s
western coast, the test was the world’s first
demonstration of the High-Altitude Platform
System (HAPS) using aircraft to extend a
5G service, covering a geographical area of
450 km2. The trial was facilitated by Saudi
Arabia’s digital regulator, CITC. Speaking
after the successful conclusion of the test,
Dr. Mohammed Al Tamimi, Governor of CITC,
highlighted the significance of the event: “This is
a great accomplishment for Saudi Arabia’s ICT
sector. The deployment of HAPS in the Kingdom
has been made possible by an enabling ICT
ecosystem and strong government support.
This successful demonstration puts us at the
technological frontier globally and takes us
closer to our Vision 2030 goal of extending
high-quality ICT access to every part of the
country.” HAPS are radio stations located on
an object flying or floating in the stratospheric
layer. Stratospheric Platforms Limited used a
German-made, long-endurance Grob aircraft
for the Saudi trial. While HAPS remains an
emerging technology, it can potentially bring
connectivity to areas that are not covered, or
are only partially covered, by cellular networks.
Positioned at high altitude and providing a clear
and evenly distributed signal, HAPS enables
additional capabilities, including the Internet
of Things (IOT), emergency communications,
disaster recovery, temporary coverage for
events and tourist hotspots, and terrestrial site
backhaul. “The success of the trial in Saudi
Arabia’s western coast had many challenges”
noted Richard Deakin, CEO of Stratospheric
Platforms. “Now that the 5G HAPS technology
has been proven, the question is one of
further commercial development. This is why
having a diverse consortium such as ours,
which includes strong government support,
is essential to the continued realization of the
program.” Technology advancements in Saudi
Arabia are being driven by the country’s Vision
2030, a whole-of-society program designed
around economic diversification. Recent ICT
initiatives include allocating more than 23 GHz of frequency spectrum for commercial and innovative uses, the launch of regulatory
sandbox projects, open access for network operators, and the full-spectrum adoption of the WiFi-6e, becoming the first country in the
EMEA region to do so.
106 MARCH-APRIL 2022