High-Altitude Platforms Offer Edge Over Satellites, Says COAI: Report

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has called for the development of a regulatory framework for High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS), citing their potential to offer secure, flexible, and cost-effective connectivity solutions. High-altitude platforms such as solar power drones, balloons, airships, etc, can provide secure and flexible coverage at lower cost compared to satellites, PTI reported, citing a senior COAI official.

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High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS)

COAI Director General S P Kochhar reportedly emphasised that HAPS can serve as a viable alternative to traditional satellites, particularly in disaster recovery and remote communication scenarios. Kochhar noted that countries such as the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom, along with companies like Airbus (Zephyr) and SoftBank, are investing heavily in HAPS technologies.

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Advantages and Strategic Use-Cases

“The main purpose of HAPS is similar to satellites, but with the advantage of being able to be deployed rapidly and at a lower cost. HAPS operate at much lower altitudes (20-50 km) compared to geostationary or low-earth orbit satellites, resulting in significantly lower latency – critical for real-time communication and military operations,” Kochhar said, as mentioned in the report. He clarified that the views expressed were his personal opinion and not the official position of COAI.

He reportedly said HAPS platforms can be rapidly deployed, repositioned, or recovered, offering tactical flexibility that satellites cannot provide once in orbit. This makes them ideal for disaster recovery and emergency networks, particularly in flood or earthquake situations where emergency communications and monitoring are essential.

Also Read: SoftBank Achieves Spectrum Sharing Between HAPS and Terrestrial Base Stations

HAPS Can Provide Targeted Coverage

“HAPS are less susceptible to certain space-based threats such as anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, orbital debris or jamming attacks targeted at high-orbit infrastructure. From a security standpoint, HAPS also allow for persistent surveillance of sensitive border regions or maritime zones without violating international space treaties or depending on expensive satellite constellations,” Kochhar was quoted as saying in the report.