Cell Phone Communication Through Balloons

In Bismarck, North Dakota (USA) they're testing a theory that you can get better cell phone service through weather balloons. These balloons would carry a repeater the size of a toaster high up in the stratosphere. Nine balloons would be running, they would either be high, low, or grounded, constantly keeping communications within the state working. I don't believe this idea works because third generation cell phone communications rely on only like 50 channels a carrier and I'm sure there is a possibility that more then 50 people in the state of North Dakota will be on the phone at the same time. This is why the cellular system works because the cells only transmit and receive so far and therefore wouldn't create interference in adjacent cells allowing frequencies to be reused.