Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Robots may float above Earth

Bob Jones has a lofty idea for improving communications around the world: Strategically <A HREF="http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/ptech/08/22/wireless.dirigible.ap/index.html">float robotic airships above Earth</A> as an alternative to unsightly telecom towers on the ground and expensive satellites in space. Jones, a former NASA manager, envisions a fleet of unmanned "Stratellites" hovering in the atmosphere and blanketing large swaths of territory with wireless access for high-speed data and voice communications. The idea of using airships as communications platforms isn't new--it was widely floated during the dot-com boom. It didn't really fly then, and Jones is the first to admit the latest venture is a gamble.

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