Remote areas in Oman to get internet access through hot air balloons

Muscat: Oman is conducting ground-breaking research with the test launch of a hot air balloon that provides 4G and WiFi connections to people on the ground.
The cutting edge communications breakthrough combines one of the world’s oldest forms of travel with one of the fastest ways to surf.
Omantel - the Sultanate’s telecoms provider - tied up with researchers at Sultan Qaboos University to put WiFi in the sky.
An Omantel spokesman said they hoped to provide coverage to many more people and tap remote regions using the new technology.
“It will also be very useful where there is a large gathering of people, ensuring uninterrupted access to the web.”
Raed Qassim Al Zaffari, head of Portable Solutions at Omantel said, “The concept of such an air balloon in not entirely new, but it’s happening globally, however this is the first time it has come to Oman. It will provide high quality services because there are no obstacles of mountains or buildings, and you can depend on it in cases of emergencies and it can be utilised for different purposes, such as aerial photography, live TV broadcasts, and others.”
The first successful trial of this exciting prospect was launched yesterday at the Sultan Qaboos University’s premises by Omantel, in cooperation with the university to provide mobile coverage and support science, research and innovation. This project will help find alternative solutions to provide communication during emergencies and to expand them across geographical locations that doesn’t allow access to traditional services.
“The main idea behind this project is to find a practical and affordable solution to provide communications and internet services of high quality in places where traffic and demand are high, such as festivals, major sporting events, conferences and so on,” added Al Zaffari.
He also explained that the technology is eco-friendly, affordable, easier and cheaper to maintain when compared with traditional networks.