The Internet is one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetimes. But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. And this is far from being a solved problem.
There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity—jungles, archipelagos, mountains. There are also major cost challenges. Right now, for example, in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month’s income.
Solving these problems isn’t simply a question of time: it requires looking at the problem of access from new angles. So today Google is unveiling its latest moonshot from Google[x]: balloon-powered Internet access.
Google believes that it might actually be possible to build a ring of balloons, flying around the globe on the stratospheric winds, that provide Internet access to the earth below. It’s very early days, but Google has built a system that uses balloons, carried by the wind at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes, to beam Internet access to the ground at speeds similar to today’s 3G networks or faster. As a result, Google hopes balloons could become an option for connecting rural, remote, and underserved areas, and for helping with communications after natural disasters. The idea may sound a bit crazy—and that’s part of the reason Google named it Project Loon—but there’s solid science behind it.
Balloons, with all their effortless elegance, present some challenges. Many projects have looked at high-altitude platforms to provide Internet access to fixed areas on the ground, but trying to stay in one place like this requires a system with major cost and complexity. So the idea Google pursued was based on freeing the balloons and letting them sail freely on the winds. All Google had to do was figure out how to control their path through the sky. Google has now found a way to do that; using just wind and solar power, Google can move the balloons up or down to catch the winds it is intended to travel in. That solution then led to a new problem: how to manage a fleet of balloons sailing around the world so that each balloon is in the area you want it right when you need it. Google is solving this with some complex algorithms and lots of computing power.
This week Google started a pilot program in the Canterbury area of New Zealand with 50 testers trying to connect to its balloons. This is the first time Google has launched this many balloons (30 this week) and tried to connect to this many receivers on the ground, to learn a lot that will help improve the technology and balloon design.
Over time, Google would like to set up pilots in countries at the same latitude as New Zealand. Google wants partners for the next phase of the project — and wants to hear feedback and ideas from people who’ve been working for far longer on this enormous problem of providing Internet access to rural and remote areas. Google imagines someday you’ll be able to use your cell phone with your existing service provider to connect to the balloons and get connectivity where there is none today.
This is still highly experimental technology and there is a long way to go — Google wants your support and feedback. Follow the Google+ page to keep up with Project Loon’s progress.
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Over time, Google would like to set up pilots in countries at the same latitude as New Zealand. Google wants partners for the next phase of the project — and wants to hear feedback and ideas from people who’ve been working for far longer on this enormous problem of providing Internet access to rural and remote areas. Google imagines someday you’ll be able to use your cell phone with your existing service provider to connect to the balloons and get connectivity where there is none today.
This is still highly experimental technology and there is a long way to go — Google wants your support and feedback. Follow the Google+ page to keep up with Project Loon’s progress.
