While demand for connectivity continues to rise, the networks that support it remain rooted in the same model – towers planted in the ground. These are dependable, relatively inexpensive to build, and easy to maintain in cities and towns where demand is concentrated. However, their reach is limited. A single tower covers only 3-5 km, and in areas with difficult terrain or sparse populations, deploying enough of them quickly becomes uneconomical.
Satellites were designed to address this problem by lifting coverage off the ground entirely. A single geostationary satellite, parked high above the equator, can cover an entire continent, while low-Earth orbit constellations promise near-global reach. The key advantage is scale, with one system serving millions across borders and oceans. But scale comes with trade-offs. Signals must travel thousands of kilometres, introducing delays that hinder real-time applications such as voice calls, video conferencing and drone control. Satellite launches and terminals are cost-intensive, with most systems requiring specialised ground equipment rather than connecting directly to standard mobile devices.
This is where high-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) enter the picture. Operating in the stratosphere, they occupy the middle layer between terrestrial towers and satellites. Each platform carries communication payloads such as antennas and radio units, allowing it to function as an aerial cell site. From this altitude, a single HAP can cover thousands of square kilometres, connecting directly to existing ground networks, linking remote towers to the internet backbone, or providing broadband access to underserved regions without the need for new fibre.
Because they operate much closer to the Earth than satellites, HAPS offer low-latency connectivity that supports real-time communication and applications. Their greatest strength lies in flexibility. This means that they can be launched quickly, repositioned as demand shifts and recovered for maintenance or upgrades. Unlike satellites, they do not require years of planning or orbital slots; unlike towers, they are not constrained by terrain or right-of-way challenges.
Most platforms today are solar-powered and designed for long endurance, using lightweight composite airframes and high-efficiency batteries to stay aloft for weeks or even months. The most common configurations include fixed-wing aircraft with solar-covered wings, stratospheric airships capable of hovering over a region for extended periods and high-altitude balloons suited for rapid deployment in emergencies. Hybrid designs are also emerging, combining solar, battery and propulsion systems for continuous, autonomous operation.
However, the real test lies in how effectively HAPS integrate with networks and address the gaps that existing infrastructure cannot.
Promises and pitfalls of HAPS deployment
The most immediate role of HAPS is to extend broadband to regions that ground infrastructure cannot reach. The National Aerospace Laboratories’ (NAL) solar-powered prototype, tested in May 2025, navigated through cloud cover at stratospheric altitude. According to NAL engineers, it can now carry a full 5G base-station payload because of its improved power and weight profile. In addition, when ground networks fail, HAPS can act as emergency lifelines. In India, such rapid-response capability could be invaluable for cyclone-prone coastal states, where rebuilding terrestrial links often takes weeks.
HAPS also offer a solution for managing short-term capacity surges. During mass events such as cricket finals or pilgrimages, towers are often overloaded, not because of a lack of coverage but because of exploding demand. This approach could easily apply to India’s urban festivals or large public gatherings, where a HAP launched for a weekend could absorb peak traffic before returning to base once demand stabilises.
Meanwhile, HAPS’ potential extends beyond telecom. Defence and research organisations view HAPS as long-endurance “eyes and ears in the sky”. In May 2025, India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the first flight of its stratospheric airship from Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh. It reached an altitude of about 17 km, testing pressure control and emergency-deflation systems while collecting sensor data for high-fidelity simulations. Such trials mark a step toward persistent surveillance and secure communication relays along India’s borders. Meanwhile, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology plans to use similar platforms to deploy radiosondes for measuring monsoon cloud systems, another example of how the same stratospheric layer can support both national security and scientific research. Further, the Indian Air Force has expressed interest in inducting HAPS for persistent surveillance and communication roles. Even a limited fleet of such systems, capable of staying aloft for months, could enable near-continuous monitoring of sensitive corridors along the Line of Actual Control with China, the Line of Control with Pakistan and key maritime zones across the Indian Ocean Region.
However, operating at an altitude of 20 km means every bit of power, control and communication must come from onboard systems. Most HAPS rely on solar panels and batteries, which perform optimally under bright sunlight but struggle at night or during prolonged periods of cloud cover. Engineers have made impressive progress in lightweight materials, solar efficiency and energy storage, yet the gap between successful test flights and reliable, continuous operations remains wide. Staying aloft for weeks or months requires breakthroughs in battery endurance, power management and system redundancy. The stratosphere may seem calm, but it comes with violent temperature swings, thin air and high winds. A single sensor or battery failure at that altitude could end a mission within seconds.
Then there is the economics parameter. Rural connectivity is often cited as the most promising use case for HAPS, but serving low-density regions with limited purchasing power raises doubts about profitability. Investors will have to adopt an uncomfortably tight cost model. Japan’s HAPSMobile, for instance, has stated its goal of bringing the cost of broadband down to about $1 per user per month, but to do that, it must reduce the price of each aircraft from roughly $6.8 million to around $1 million, a gap that underscores the commercial challenge of this technology.
Connectivity itself is far from straightforward. A HAPS operating hundreds of kilometres offshore still needs a reliable path to the internet backbone. The most practical options today include satellite backhaul, high-altitude microwave relays and laser-based free-space optical links, each with its own trade-offs in bandwidth, latency and weather sensitivity. Integrating a HAPS into an operator’s terrestrial network is an engineering challenge. The onboard systems must be capable of autonomous operation for extended periods, and designed for seamless handover if one platform fails or another takes its place. Achieving such coordinated, multi-platform network management remains an area of active research across the global industry.
India’s moves
Industry leaders and policymakers in India are beginning to recognise the strategic importance of high-altitude platform systems. Countries such as the US, Japan and the UK, along with companies like Airbus (Zephyr) and SoftBank, are already making significant investments in HAPS technologies, and India should not fall behind. There is a need for a comprehensive regulatory framework to govern HAPS operations, spectrum allocation and airspace management; and stronger investment in indigenous research and development (R&D) through agencies such as DRDO and ISRO, as well as private aerospace start-ups. On the policy front, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has begun factoring high-altitude and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) into its consultations and recommendations as it explores suitable frequency bands and regulatory models to support future NTN deployments in the country.
In terms of regulations, India must decide whether to classify HAPS as satellites, aircraft, or an entirely new category. Their altitude puts them well above commercial air routes, but coordination with aviation regulators will be essential to avoid interference or safety risks. For instance, in 2023, India briefly blocked experimental balloon flights after a crash involving an unidentified high-altitude object. Persistent platforms also raise security and privacy concerns. Continuous observation from the stratosphere could make neighbouring countries uneasy unless clear operating rules are established.
While regulation and policy discussions are still taking shape, India’s research ecosystem is already experimenting with HAPs at multiple levels. The country’s HAP ecosystem is real but nascent. CSIR-NAL’s subscale demonstrators are closest to operational proof of concept; DRDO’s airship trials show defence interest and capability; and HAL’s combat air teaming system programme aims to scale HAP concepts into longer-duration systems, but full commercial deployments and manufacturing lines are not yet in place.
The way forward
For a vast, diverse and unevenly connected country like India, HAPS could finally close the gap between access and aspiration. According to government data from August 2024, about 35,000 uncovered villages and habitations are still being connected, most of them in remote or difficult terrain. Roughly 9,000 of these have already been covered with 4G at an expenditure of about Rs 110 billion, but the remaining clusters remain hard to reach through conventional ground infrastructure. This is where the stratospheric layer comes in. HAPS can bridge the last stretch of connectivity, extending broadband to areas where towers and fibre end, strengthening disaster response and filling coverage gaps as India moves into 5G and 6G.
In India, however, the technology still sits in a regulatory grey zone. A timely policy push could catalyse domestic R&D and promote collaboration among public institutions, start-ups and aerospace manufacturers. Partnerships will also be critical. Since HAPS remain experimental worldwide, India stands to gain from joint ventures and technology-sharing with countries already advancing in this field. Combining global expertise with local manufacturing and deployment experience could accelerate the journey from prototype to production. Moreover, the player that moves first will have a decisive advantage in shaping standards, securing spectrum and defining early business models.
That vision is within reach, but only if technology, policy and investment align. The sky may no longer be the limit for communication networks; it could soon become their next frontier.
Harshita Kalra
