Globalstar, the satellite operator behind Apple’s emergency messaging features, is charting a new path for 5G: high-flying drones acting as airborne cell towers. In a recent filing with the US Federal Communications Commission, the company requested experimental authority to test a “prototype wireless high-altitude platform station” (HAPS) that would deliver 5G over its licensed 2.4GHz spectrum.
The proposed trials would fly a long-endurance uncrewed aircraft between roughly 3,000 and 60,000 feet, broadcasting in 5G Band n53—the slice of spectrum Apple hardware began supporting with the iPhone 14. While not a commercial rollout, the test points to a future in which unmodified smartphones could tap aerial 5G to fill rural gaps and restore coverage after disasters.
Why HAPS for 5G Band n53
HAPS aims to blend the reach of satellites with the latency and device compatibility of terrestrial networks. Operating in the stratosphere, these platforms can “see” a wide footprint with line-of-sight connectivity and minimal obstructions, making them well-suited to sparse geographies where towers are sparse or untenable.
Band n53 sits at 2.4GHz, a frequency that propagates better than millimeter-wave and mid-band allocations at longer distances, especially from altitude. Because n53 is already supported in modern flagships, including recent iPhones, the approach avoids custom handsets—a major hurdle that hamstrung earlier non-terrestrial efforts.
Inside Globalstar’s Proposed Test
Globalstar says it will deploy XCOM RAN technology on a long-endurance uncrewed aircraft manufactured by a “leading aviation company.” The airborne radio unit would use two antennas with 2×2 MIMO for 5G/LTE, projecting service to a circular area with a radius of about 20 miles—covering roughly 1,250 square miles per platform.
The company frames the trial as an engineering validation in an “operationally relevant environment,” with goals that include verifying radio performance, interference management, and mobility. The filing indicates a six-month test window and emphasizes the system would not support commercial traffic during the experiment.
One open question is backhaul: HAPS require a robust link to the core network. Industry implementations typically use high-capacity microwave or optical links to ground stations, or satellite relay. The filing doesn’t specify the backhaul architecture, but throughput and latency targets will hinge on this design choice.
Aerial Connectivity’s Next Chapter
Globalstar’s HAPS interest slots into a broader race to extend 5G beyond towers. 3GPP Release 17 introduced non-terrestrial networks specifications, and the International Telecommunication Union has advanced frameworks for high-altitude IMT base stations. The result: clearer technical and regulatory guardrails for aerial and orbital 5G.
There’s precedent—and cautionary tales. Alphabet’s Project Loon used stratospheric balloons to deliver LTE before shutting down over economics. Meta’s Project Aquila pursued solar-powered aircraft with similar goals but was wound down. On the other end of the spectrum, Airbus subsidiary AALTO HAPS has flown its Zephyr platform in the stratosphere for an endurance record measured in months, demonstrating the feasibility of sustained high-altitude operations.
Closer to the aircraft category Globalstar might use, Insitu (a Boeing company) has showcased long-endurance drones like the Integrator Extended Range, capable of daylong flights at around 20,000 feet and supporting satcom links. Globalstar’s filing doesn’t name a vendor, but the market for high-endurance UAS is maturing quickly.
What It Could Mean for iPhones and Carriers
Globalstar is already tied closely to Apple, which committed hundreds of millions of dollars to bolster the operator’s satellite infrastructure for iPhone emergency messaging. If HAPS over n53 proves out, the same devices could receive conventional 5G service from the sky—no satellite modem required—provided carriers or partners integrate n53 roaming and core network interfaces.
The immediate use cases are compelling: rapid coverage restoration after hurricanes or wildfires; ad hoc capacity for large events; and rural broadband augmentation where fiber or towers are cost-prohibitive. A single platform’s 20-mile radius is broad enough to blanket a small county or multiple towns, though capacity must be engineered carefully to avoid congestion.
Economics and Engineering Hurdles
HAPS success hinges on a triangle of cost, endurance, and capacity. Airframe longevity and energy systems determine operating expense; smart beamforming and spectrum reuse define how many users can be supported; and integration with terrestrial cores sets the overall user experience. The economics that ended Loon are less daunting today thanks to more efficient airframes, lighter radios, and standardized NTN specs—but they’re still central.
Regulatory clearances will also shape timelines. Beyond FCC spectrum authorization, any high-altitude operation involves aviation regulators for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, airspace deconfliction, and safety. Interference coordination with adjacent bands at 2.4GHz, a crowded neighborhood, will demand meticulous RF planning.
Even with those caveats, the direction is clear: bridging the last coverage gaps will require layers—towers, small cells, satellites, and now possibly drones cruising above the weather. If Globalstar’s test validates performance on n53, aerial 5G that talks to ordinary phones could move from concept to playbook, accelerating how carriers design resilient, everywhere networks.