In June of 2013 Google unveiled Google Loon, the latest in a long line of similar projects that will use balloons to deliver broadband and wireless services to under-served or emergency prone areas. Project Loon will use balloons 49 feet wide stationed 12 miles above the planet, well above the range of commercial aircraft. Ground base stations set some sixty miles apart communicate with solar-powered radio transmitters affixed to the balloons, and Google steers the balloons using wind as they ride the 40th parallel.
In an update posted over at Youtube, Google says the company is preparing for a much larger deployment, and tackling the challenge of "moving from small scale, one-off launches and tests, to the scale and automation required to make balloon-powered Internet for all a reality."
Loon saw plenty of critics early on who claimed Google would be lucky to keep its broadband balloons aloft for more than a couple of days. Now, Google's busy keeping balloons in the air for hundreds of days over thousands of kilometers, and it's ready for the next big step.
"We're getting close to the point where can roll out thousands of balloons," Project Lead Mike Cassidy says. "In the beginning, it was all we could do to launch one balloon a day, now with our automated crane system, we can launch dozens of balloons a day, for every crane we have."
Ultimately, Google says it hopes to work with existing telcos to use Loon to help bolster existing connectivity in hard-to-reach areas, or as a supplemental offering during natural disasters or major events. The company isn't yet at the point where it can offer up details of a full commercial launch, but Google seems relatively confident that date isn't far off.
One has to wonder what source of fuel they're using to produce that much hot air to keep the balloons aloft for so long... maybe their PR department has found a way to capture their exhaled gasses?
While I dislike Evil Google, the idea of a global stratospheric balloon network is exciting. It has the potential of providing data and voice services to the most remote parts of the globe at nominal cost when scaled. Twenty First Century stuff, I like it!
But probably can reach anything south of the equator> southern Africa> austrailia, NZ, south America, all have underserved populations and a good test area if successful a few more bands (equator and 40ÂșN) would be next.
Imagine full coverage in most of the western US where the mountainous terrain blocks signals from a lot of places. People who get lost can get rescued easier. Not to mention the benefits to many in the farming communities who have basic internet access who can use faster speeds to improve their farming operations.
Hopefully US providers negotiate roaming deals with Loon so we can realize universal service for LTE across the US.