Mohamed Slim Alouini is one of the world’s leading voices on near-space infrastructure. As the UNESCO Chair in Education to Connect the Unconnected and a pioneer in wireless communications at KAUST, Alouini argues that the next leap in global connectivity won’t come from satellites or towers — but from the stratosphere.In this episode, we break down how High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) could deliver broadband to 3 billion unconnected people, unlock direct-to-phone 6G, enable smart agriculture, disaster response, and redefine how we think about infrastructure in the sky.We explore:Why satellites alone can’t solve global connectivityThe “missing middle layer” between towers and LEO mega-constellationsHow HAPS deliver low-latency broadband straight to standard smartphonesNear-space for disaster recovery, border monitoring & smart farmingWhy HAPS avoid the satellite debris problem entirelyThe technical breakthroughs still needed: endurance, payload, free-space opticsWhat a full stratospheric constellation could look like in 2040

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