Mobile phone masts replaced by Zeppelins

A SWISS GENIUS has worked out that it is possible to replace all the mobile phone masts in his country by sticking one Zeppelin into the stratosphere.

Kamal Alavi's project for the high-tech airship will also drastically reduce radiation caused by phone masts.

Alavi runs an outfit called Stratxx which, with a team of 50 scientists, has built the airship he calls the "X station".

The 60-metre long helium-filled balloon will remain stationary at 21 kilometres above the Earth and a small-unmanned aircraft outfitted with a mobile phone antenna and other devices for transmitting digital data will be attached.

The X station has been equipped with giant propellers to help counter the wind and will be held in place by a GPS receiver.

Powered by solar panels, Alavi claims that his Zeppelin will create much more reliable phone connections because the signals are unobstructed.

Each X-station would only cost $32 million to built and could handle the radio, television and internet needs of entire nations. Only 20 X-stations would be needed to cover the whole of Europe.

If the Zeppelin does a Hindenburg, the aircraft with the technological gubbins will simply disconnect and fly down to the earth.

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