The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) yesterday unveiled Taiwan’s first domestically produced tethered high-altitude balloon, which can be used to restore communications in emergencies.
The high-altitude platform has the potential to quickly help restore communications after a disaster, boosting Taiwan’s network resilience, the ministry said.
At an unveiling ceremony at Taitung County’s Luye Highlands (鹿野高台), Minister of Digital Affairs Huang Yen-nun (黃彥男) said that high-altitude balloons are one of the viable solutions to build resilience in network communications, as Taiwan is faced with many natural disasters.
Photo: Liu Jen-wei, Taipei Times
Huang described the efforts as the “pride of Taiwan,” as the technology itself was developed totally in-house.
Telecom Technology Center chief executive officer Lin Hui-tang (林輝堂), who was also at the event, said the balloon can reach an altitude of 800m and provide network coverage across 380km2.
The project is a joint collaboration between the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and National Taipei University of Technology, Lin said.
Photo courtesy of Ministry of Digital Affairs
The Taiwan-developed balloon can stay airborne for more than 14 days and is powered by hydrogen fuel cells for stable, low-pollution operation, the ministry said.
It has a load capacity of 50kg and can be equipped with mobile base stations and power equipment to support post-disaster communication and improve coverage in remote areas, the ministry said.
There are three types of high-altitude communication platforms: drones, tethered helium balloons and high-altitude airships, the center said.
The balloon technology is already relatively mature, the center said, citing the platform’s huge payload and the fact that it can stay in the air for longer.
Related projects are also being carried out in Japan, the Czech Republic, the US and the UK, it said.
As the technology matures further, Taiwan-developed balloons could be used to improve network coverage, and support rescue teams and stranded people with reliable messaging, calls and video streaming during post-disaster scenarios, it said.
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