In retrospect, 2005 might be seen as the year of broadband for the UK.

BT finished its programme of enabling all exchanges for ADSL and, no doubt in part because of this, the UK leapt into the lead as Europe's biggest adopter of broadband, with 9.8 million lines at the end of the year, compared with 9.7 million in France and 8.4 million in Germany.

Against this, there are increasing indications that broadband adoption in Europe will have levelled out by 2008, with almost two-thirds of consumers having connections.

This raises the question of what happens next, not least with apparently insatiable demand for increasing bandwidth to serve applications such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP), as well as heavier video and data uses.

All is fine for those of us who can get broadband, most commonly through ancient copper telephone wires using ADSL, but it is not so good for the significant minority who cannot be served by this network.

Lest you think that this applies only to crofters in the Scottish islands or hamlets in the Brecon Beacons, let me tell you that I was recently surprised to find that my paediatrician brother, who lives a bare 30 miles from London, cannot access ADSL and is limited to satellite communication if he wants broadband.

In addition to ADSL, broadband provision can be made through fibre optic cables, short range wireless, and satellites. They all have disadvantages, not least in terms of costs, so a system that could provide broadband over a wide area at acceptable cost would obviously be welcomed.

This is the rationale for the European CAPANINA high altitude platforms (HAPs) project in which York University boffins are playing a leading role. HAPs are typically airships that float at an altitude of about 20km - well above normal aircraft flight paths, but much lower than satellites.

If all goes well, CAPANINA will deliver data rates more than 200 times faster than a typical wired connection and at low cost. Users in rural and other "hard to reach" areas will be freed from the limitations of copper wire, while the system will also be capable of providing connectivity with moving vehicles, such as trains.

Dr David Grace, principal scientific officer, leads the York team in this 14 partner project, which is co-ordinated by Graham Long, the manager of York's Electronics Centre.

Using York's special expertise in wireless communications, Dr Myles Capstick devised much of the critical payload for the Sweden trial.

This all led an upbeat Dr Grace to tell me that: "CAPANINA is demonstrating the potential of this new means of broadband delivery. In the short term, HAPs will be an ideal way to deliver communications for short-term events and disaster relief. To realise this and future commercial opportunities, it is important that the aeronautical, communications, and business sectors come together. If all continues to go well, HAPs enabled broadband could be a reality within three to five years".

Once again, York is in the lead on a major European project and, who knows, within a few years we might all be getting faster, cheaper broadband wherever we live or work.

The York team is planning a series of events to promote and publicise HAPs later in the year, which, given the activity in York's digital information and communications businesses, is likely to be received enthusiastically.

Updated: 11:35 Wednesday, January 11, 2006