Broadband Transmitters On Aircraft Similar To Iridium Satellites

Iridium uses a constellation of low-orbit satellites to provide cell service where there are no towers. The satellites bounce the signal around the planet in space until they get over the destination, then drop it to traditional cellular backhaul. Basically a packet-switched cell network where both the phone and the towers might be moving. Very cool.

Consider doing something similar with aircraft. Turn them into slower-moving, lower-altitude versions of the same idea. Phone connects to transceiver on aircraft, which bounces the signal to another aircraft some number of miles away, and this continues until the signal is over the destination, then down it goes to backhaul.

According to the FAA, there are about 7,000 airplanes in the air over the U.S. at any given time during the day (http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/briefing/). That looks like pretty good coverage. But to jump from one airplane to the next would require that the second airplane be visible (not over the horizon), which might not be possible much of the time.

A revised idea would still use airplanes as moving cell "towers", but the airplanes would drop the signal right back down to the nearest cell tower. This would still allow cellphones in dead zones to get a signal, at least more of the time.