UK-based team completes successful 5G infrastructure flight trials

An advanced airborne 5G connectivity system has been successfully integrated into a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft following a series of demonstration flights. A group of British companies, led by Stratospheric Platforms Ltd. (SPL), a non-terrestrial networks telecoms developer, is developing the technology, with UK OEM Britten-Norman overseeing the design, integration, and demonstration flights.

SPL aims to develop airborne antennas to deliver widescale high-performance 5G coverage. The technology has various uses, such as quickly restoring networks after major disasters like earthquakes or tsunamis, where traditional mobile network infrastructure has been disrupted.

Key aspects of the flight test program included assessment of aircraft performance and handling qualities, covering both normal and emergency operations. According to Britten-Norman, the flight test program will support the system's full certification and enable integration in terrestrial communications systems with connection speeds reaching 200 Mbps over 15,000 square kilometers.