Integration of a HAP within a terrestrial UMTS network: Interference analysis and cell dimensioning

In this paper we consider several issues regarding the use of a High Altitude Platform (HAP) as a mobile communications base station for the UMTS standard. We refer in particular to a solar powered unmanned stratospheric platform named Heliplat, which is currently being designed at Politecnico di Torino within the HeliNet project funded by the European Community as part of the Fifth Framework Programme. Here we present a feasibility study of the use of the Heliplat platform as a UMTS base station within an integrated terrestrial-stratospheric UMTS cellular system. We take into account the power consumption and the weight constraint imposed by the platform technology, the interference required for a proper system operation and the requirement of maintaining full compatibility with the UMTS standard.