UK research agency backs drone-based internet service experiment with lasers, microwaves, and gravity waves used for wireless power — Britain invests $94 million into Starlink alternative
- ID
- 25503
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 17 Sep 2026, 5:30 PM
- Fetched
- 17 Sep 2026, 7:34 PM
- Provider
- Tom's Hardware
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/drones/uk-research-agency-backs-drone-based-internet-service-experiment-with-lasers-microwaves-and-gravity-waves-used-for-wireless-power-britain-invests-usd94-million-into-starlink-alternative
- Source URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/feeds/all
Summary
- Score
- 3.0
- Created
- 17 Sep 2026, 7:36 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_founders
What happened
A UK research agency is investing $94 million into a drone-based internet service experiment that uses lasers, microwaves, and gravity waves for wireless power transmission, positioned as an alternative to Starlink. The article itself contains almost no substantive detail beyond the headline — the body is website navigation boilerplate.
Why it matters
For builders in Malaysia and SEA where rural connectivity remains a real infrastructure gap, drone-based aerial ISPs are worth tracking as a potential alternative to satellite or fibre. However, this specific article provides no technical depth, timeline, or deployment plan to act on — the gravity-wave power transmission concept is so early-stage that no practical decision can be made from it.
Discussion angle
Whether aerial ISP platforms (drones, HAPS) could realistically serve underserved areas in East Malaysia or rural SEA where laying fibre is uneconomical, and what the actual constraints are versus Starlink's existing coverage in the region.