The HALO Network Advantages

The HALO aircraft can be thought of as a very tall tower or very low altitude satellite. Through the use of only one airborne network hub, versus hundreds of towers for an equivalent terrestrial wireless network, the HALO Network will revolutionize wireless communications by expanding coverage to thousands of square miles and by providing capacity to serve thousands of simultaneous multi-megabit data exchanges. Contrasted to terrestrial broadband networks, the HALO Network offers ubiquitous, anyone-to-anyone, broadband linkages throughout the footprint. All subscribers within the service area will have full access to the network on the first day it is activated.

The HALO Network can augment and supplement satellite systems. The HALO Network allocates its capacity directly to population centers and thus can serve as a traffic concentrator for satellite systems or can relay gigabit-per-second data traffic to satellites by using space-to-Earth licensed millimeter-wave frequencies. Unlike global satellite systems which necessitate an all-or-nothing deployment and financing, Angel's broadband services can be introduced and financed incrementally on a city-by-city basis. Finally, satellites must operate for much of their life with aging components and have only a modest ability to alter their orbits. The modular design of the HALO Network permits Angel to routinely upgrade the network elements in pace with innovations emerging from the telecommunications, computer and data communications industries. HALO Networks can be introduced to highly promising markets around the world on a selective basis.

Angel's system engineering approach will enable expansion of network capacity and service quality through an influx of new technologies into each HALO Network element: the airborne hub, Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), Business Premise Equipment (BPE), and the HALO Gateway (HG). "Continuous improvement" is a significant attribute of the HALO Network. It enables Angel to meet the increasing expectations of present customers, and to open new markets requiring lesser capability by re-assigning earlier-generation hubs.

HALO Network Key Attributes

• HALO Aircraft. The HALO Proof of Concept aircraft first flew publically September 21, 1998 and is undergoing flight trials. Attributes of the aircraft include: operates at 51,000 to 60,000 feet above each service area, utilizes two reliable, certified fan jet engines, and has an all composite fixed-wing airframe built expressly for communications services.
  
  
• Airborne Network Hub. The HALO aircraft will carry nearly one ton of payload, including an antenna array and electronics, for providing wireless communications services. The antenna array creates hundreds of contiguous virtual cells on the ground to serve thousands of users. The payload is roll-stabilized, liquid cooled, and can be provided with greater than 20 KW of DC power.
  
  
• Subscriber Terminals. Easy-to-install, standards-based, millimeter wave Customer Premise Equipment ("CPE") and Business Premise Equipment ("BPE") with auto-tracking high-gain antenna.
  
  
• High Signal Quality and Availability. At frequencies above 20 GHz, where wireless broadband services are being licensed, high losses of signals are caused by ground terrain, foliage and rain. The high viewing angles to HALO aircraft (20 degrees or greater) assure communications signal paths free of absorbing objects. The combination of a large aperture and high signal power utilized by the HALO Network allows service availability in regions with high rainfall rates.
  
  
• Rapid Buildout. A HALO Network can be put into operation within weeks. Upon Network activation, Angel provides service to the full super metropolitan area.
  
  
• Flexible System Architecture. The network hub can be readily altered to better serve market needs and to offer higher data rates to subscribers as spectrum becomes available.
  
  
• Low Cost. Negligible ground infrastructure, coupled with a large footprint and multi-megabit-per-second data rates make broadband services offered by the HALO Network extremely competitive on a $/bit/square mile basis.
  
  
• Consumer Service. Broadband on demand ("BBOD") to the home. Typically 1 - 5 Mbps (symmetric service). Services include low-cost Internet, video on demand, tele-commuting, and 2-way video conferencing.
  
  
• Business Service. Switched and dedicated BBOD to business. Typically 5 to 12.5 Mbps (symmetric service). Services include Internet access, online sales, inventory, intranets, enterprise networks, extended LANs, offsite training, 2-way video conferencing, and access to terrestrial millimeter wave networks.
  
  
• HALO Network Coverage Area. Unique antenna provides ubiquitous coverage throughout a circular footprint 50 to 75 miles in diameter with high availability.
  
  
• Hours of Service. Around-the-clock.
  
  
• Initial Network Capacity. Nearly 5,000 simultaneous, two-way, DS1-equivalent links in the first network. This capacity may be grown ten-fold over a period of several years following activation of the first network.

Spectrum Options