Ask HN: Why Isn't Starlink Built on Solar Powered Drones?

I just stumbled on this video from ETH Zurich [1]. They are demonstrating an solar powered drone with unlimited range, as it can recharge during the day and flight battery-powered during the night. BEA Systems has a military prototype that can flight for up to one year [2].

I am wondering if such as plane could be used as a 4G/5G relay that could stay indefinitively over the clouds, providing Internet access to rural areas. That would have huge advantages compared to SpaceX's Starlink:

* The cost of such drones would be orders of magnitude cheaper than a Starlink satellite. These drones would also be easily serviceable and upgradable.

* No need for a new communication protocol and hardware, just use 4G or 5G.

* Round-trip-time and connection quality would be significantly better.

* Only specific areas could be targeted by these drones. Meanwhile, Starlink satellites are constantly moving on their orbits and have to cover the whole globe to be any kind of useful.

* No space debrit.

--

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m4_NpTQn0E

[2] https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/phasa-35