The Bermuda mobile network operator, Paradise Mobile, has signed a memorandum of understanding to enter into a strategic partnership with high-flying UK company, Aalto Haps.

It allows them to contribute to the next golden age of telecoms that will bring multiple technological and economic advantages over legacy terrestrial and non-terrestrial solutions.

The Airbus subsidiary provides services from its stratospheric Zephyr solar-powered aircraft for mobile connectivity, platform mobility, earth observation, and government applications.

Aalto says: “Zephyr acts as a terrestrial tower in the sky, seamlessly integrating into mobile operators’ networks and becomes the right technical and economic solution to expand their edge of coverage.”

Aalto’s Zephyr is described as the most persistent ‘high altitude platform station’ on the planet.

The ideal of green technology will create a new age when “connecting anything, anywhere, on the ground, in the air, or at sea is a given and access to the internet is unhindered by terrain or lack of ground infrastructure.”

The partnership is aimed at introducing regional Haps-based solutions.

A joint statement from the companies said Paradise Mobile will have access to Aalto’s solutions in 2024 when it rolls out commercial services to enable Paradise Mobile to provide services to subscribers within the vast coverage areas that Haps can provide.

In addition, Haps solutions can serve to augment coverage during critical events and can be deployed quickly and easily.

Sam Tabbara, Paradise Mobile chief executive officer, said: “We look forward to working with Aalto.

“Zephyr has demonstrated a high level of maturity as a Haps platform, and its innovation and sustainability are aligned with Paradise Mobile’s values and objectives in designing the future.”

Samer Halawi, chief executive officer of Aalto Haps, said: “We are very pleased to count Paradise Mobile, the next gen mobile network operator leading digital innovations in the Caribbean region, as one of our pioneering partners looking into HAPS as an efficient, sustainable, and an environmentally friendly new stratospheric layer of connectivity to deliver service; and add new reach beyond current infrastructure.

“Our solutions offer a service that saves and improves lives.”

Zephyr flies in the stratosphere, above conventional air traffic and provides low latency, direct-to-device 4G/5G services, acting as a tower in the sky with the capability to complement terrestrial networks, the company said.