From day one, our mission has been simple to say but bold in scope: connect everyone, everywhere.
We’ve built a network owned by the people who use it, powered by blockchain, and secured by the World Mobile Token (WMTx). Now, that network is reaching new heights, literally.
We’re proud to announce the launch of World Mobile Stratospheric (WMS), a joint venture between World Mobile and Protelindo, Indonesia’s largest digital infrastructure provider. This new entity is the groundbreaking culmination of deep telecom experience, disruptive decentralized economics, and an aerospace platform capable of transforming connectivity from 20,000 meters above the Earth.
Here’s everything you need to know about World Mobile Stratospheric.
A New Entity Built on Proven Aerospace Technology
World Mobile Stratospheric is more than a new name. It inherits over a decade of development from the former Stratospheric Platforms Ltd. (SPL), including the platform’s intellectual property and the engineering team behind it.
SPL was founded to deliver high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity from the stratosphere to the ground, targeting the communities that traditional networks overlook. That mission now seamlessly continues within the World Mobile ecosystem, aligned hand-in-glove with our model of decentralized ownership and onchain participation.
The Heart of WMS: A Certified, Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft
At the heart of the project is a remarkable piece of engineering: the world’s first hydrogen-powered, sustainable, fixed-wing aircraft designed for long-endurance operations in the stratosphere.
Each aircraft hosts a 3-meter phased-array 5G antenna, capable of steering 450 beams and delivering throughput of up to 100 Gbps. That’s enough to support up to 500,000 simultaneous direct-to-handset connections with no dishes, dongles, or additional ground equipment required.
In coverage terms, each aircraft can serve an area of 15,000 square kilometers - the equivalent of replacing over 500 terrestrial towers.
Real-World Trials Have Already Proven Capability
This isn’t theoretical. The technology has already been proven in the field. Before the acquisition, this technology was tested extensively. Demonstration flights were conducted with BT in the UK, Deutsche Telekom in Germany, and major operators in the Middle East.
These trials validated not only the aircraft’s performance, but the reliability and stability of the phased-array antenna. The platform delivered direct-to-handset coverage at low latency and high bandwidth, with confirmed peak speeds of up to 90 Mbps and latencies as low as 1 millisecond.
This foundation allows World Mobile and Protelindo to move toward scaled deployment with confidence, backed by verifiable results across multiple markets.
Built for the Planet, Not Just Performance
The aircraft’s environmental profile is just as groundbreaking as its coverage potential. Powered entirely by liquid hydrogen, it produces zero carbon emissions in flight. The only output is water vapor.
When measured against the emissions profiles of conventional tower deployments and satellite launches, the platform achieves over 99% lower environmental impact. It sets a new benchmark for sustainable telecom infrastructure, especially for countries that aim to expand coverage without sacrificing ecological commitments.
A Partnership Designed to Break Boundaries
The joint acquisition of SPL by World Mobile and Protelindo brings together world-class aerospace innovation with two partners who have the reach and ambition to make it count. Protelindo brings extensive experience managing telecom infrastructure at scale. With tens of thousands of towers across Indonesia and a deep understanding of regional deployment, they offer a vital operational advantage in one of the world’s most geographically complex markets.
World Mobile contributes a blockchain-based incentive system that enables decentralized participation and value sharing through WMTx. Together, this partnership creates a self-sustaining deployment model that can expand where conventional infrastructure has failed to reach or failed to serve equitably.
This is a technical, financial, and ideological alignment between two teams focused on solving the same problem in complementary ways. It’s built to go miles further than a standard commercial partnership.
As Micky Watkins, CEO of World Mobile, puts it:
“This partnership embodies the potential of blockchain and decentralized economics to reshape global connectivity. By integrating token-driven incentives with advanced aerospace technology, we’re creating a resilient and economically viable model for bringing reliable internet to underserved regions at unprecedented scale.” - Micky Watkins, CEO, World Mobile
Serving More Than Mobile
While telecom is the immediate focus, the aircraft’s design allows for much broader use. Its payload bay supports a variety of mission modules from environmental monitoring and disaster recovery to public safety operations and research.
The platform’s altitude and endurance make it ideal for scenarios that require persistent aerial presence over difficult terrain, including island chains, mountain regions, and disaster-prone areas. These capabilities open a wide range of opportunities beyond connectivity alone, making WMS a multi-purpose infrastructure layer for future-ready applications.
What’s Next for World Mobile Stratospheric?
The path forward is clear. With combined resources and expertise, the partnership will now move toward commercial service introduction. In this next chapter, the joint venture will focus on:
- Flying live demonstrations using scaled-down antenna systems
- Engaging with regulators to support certified operations
- Identifying high-impact early deployment zones, from Indonesia’s remote islands to underserved regions in the United States
The goal is not just to showcase the platform, but to begin delivering real service where it is most needed. This includes rural areas, disaster zones, and communities where terrestrial rollout is slow, fragmented, or economically unviable.
How WMS Fits Within the World Mobile Ecosystem
World Mobile Stratospheric is not a standalone product. It is a new layer in our decentralized architecture.
Each aircraft will provide high-altitude backhaul to AirNodes, enabling coverage in areas where terrestrial infrastructure is impractical or cost prohibitive. All that traffic will flow through the World Mobile Chain, validated by EarthNodes and secured by the same economic incentives that have powered our growth so far. Each aircraft adds 15,000 square kilometers of coverage, drives more on-chain activity, and strengthens the value loop that makes WMTx the heartbeat of our network.
What We Build in the Skies Matters on the Ground
With the addition of World Mobile Stratospheric, we are creating a unified network that spans rooftops, ground stations, and now the stratosphere. It is built to adapt to real-world geography, deliver connectivity without compromise, and reward the people who power it.
The future of connectivity doesn’t sit in a single layer. It moves between layers as needed, governed by transparent processes, driven by public participation, and aimed at serving everybody.
The legacy model hit its ceiling long ago. The network has taken flight - coordinated by blockchain, powered by communities, and designed for everyone. And together, we’re going to take it further than anyone thought possible.
Join the movement. Reclaim power. Build the future of global connectivity.