The Russian Advanced Research Foundation (FPI) has demonstrated continuous 5G connectivity from a stratospheric platform at an altitude of 17 km, transmitting 2K video to a ground station for more than 80 minutes.
The 3 September trial used the unmanned Barrage-1 balloon to carry user traffic over a 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) link. The test also evaluated the communications architecture for telemetry and command functions, in addition to data transmission.
Barrage-1 made its first flight in February 2026 and is designed to operate at altitudes of up to 20 km. The platform can carry a payload of up to 100 kg, including telecommunications equipment. FPI is developing the system as a high-altitude communications platform for extending coverage to remote areas, with potential applications in sparsely populated regions of Siberia and the Russian Far East.
FPI first disclosed plans to test 5G equipment on Barrage-1 in September 2025. The foundation said at the time that successful trials could support deployment of such platforms from 2027. It was also working with a major mobile network operator on the potential use of high-altitude platforms to provide local coverage in areas where conventional ground infrastructure is uneconomic.
High-altitude platform stations (HAPS) operate in the stratosphere and can provide communications coverage from substantially closer to the Earth’s surface than orbital satellites. This can reduce propagation latency and simplify some aspects of the communications architecture, although the platforms must maintain position in stratospheric winds and provide continuous power for their payloads.
The Barrage programme is being developed alongside Russia’s emerging 5G NTN satellite capability. Bureau 1440 has been testing 5G NTN technology on low-Earth-orbit satellites since 2024 and launched its first 16 satellites for the system in March 2026.
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