It may be hard to wrap your head around, but there are still billions of people without Internet access. When natural disasters hit, countries can lose Internet access for extended periods of time, months or even years. Google wanted to try its hand at solving this problem and expand the availability of the Internet. Their idea is based off a childhood token, balloons, and is called Project Loon.

Goals

Google wants to expand the connectivity to underserved or unserved areas of the world. The connectivity includes expanding LTE access. This would include reinforcing places with weaker LTE connection, giving the connections to those who do not have it, and provide coverage during a natural disaster. After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico was devasted, Project Loon partnered with AT&T and T-Mobile to provid connectivity to over 200,000 people throughout the repairs. Project Loon can provide connectivity to people as a disaster response system, or even to those who have not ever experienced the privilege.

Tech

The balloon itself is made of polyethylene, the size of tennis courts, for the material will survive the harsh conditions of the stratosphere. The balloons charge with solar panels to allow for continuous power for the time the balloons are in the air. Project Loon essentially takes a cell tower and redesigns it to be a portable component that attaches to a balloon. More specifically, antennas pick up the connection from a ground network, and then pings it across the mesh balloon connection, to then down to the phone, providing LTE service. To ensure that the balloons do not crash into each other, and that the balloons stay over the correct areas, Google added flight technology to the cell tower components. By using predictive measures of wind patterns and having different balloons communicate with each other, the balloons can maneuver the sky accurately with their GPS systems.

 

Do you think that Project Loon will help people connections and LTE service? Or do you think it is just a temporary relief system? Let me know in the comments down below!