CTV Winnipeg: U of M developing drone airships to improve connectivity in the Arctic
The University of Manitoba has launched a new project to find unconventional and innovative ways to bring internet access to the Arctic.
The project is called ‘Arctic Community Connectivity for Equity, Sustainability and Service’ (ACCESS). The goal of the initiative is to find solutions to improve connectivity in Canada’s north by creating a drone airship that will act as a satellite communications hub.
This will improve safety for hunters and researchers, as well as search and rescue teams in remote areas.
“This is us responding to the needs that we’ve heard with our Indigenous and Inuit collaborators and researchers that are saying they need better connectivity to support hunters and trappers on the ice, and search and rescue,” said Philip Ferguson, a U of M engineering professor who is leading the project.