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What is Project Loon?
Many of us think of the Internet as a global community. But two-thirds of the world’s population does not yet have Internet access. Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.
The Technology
Project Loon balloons float in the stratosphere, twice as high as airplanes and the weather. They are carried around the Earth by winds and they can be steered by rising or descending to an altitude with winds moving in the desired direction. People connect to the balloon network using a special Internet antenna attached to their building. The signal bounces from balloon to balloon, then to the global Internet back on Earth.
The Pilot Test
The Project Loon pilot test begins June 2013 on the 40th parallel south. Thirty balloons, launched from New Zealand’s South Island, will beam Internet to a small group of pilot testers. The experience of these pilot testers will be used to refine the technology and shape the next phase of Project Loon.
Festival of Flight, Christchurch, 16th June 2013
Bring your family to meet the team behind Project Loon
and learn more about balloon-powered Internet at today's Festival of Flight.
Sunday 16th June 2013, 10am-2pm NZST
Air Force Museum, 45 Harvard Ave, Wigram, Wigram Park 8140, New Zealand
Free entry.
Go to Project Loon site for registration and more details.
Project Loon
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For now I will reserve judgment on Google's inherent intentions, since global internet access will surely benefit Google at the basic gateway level, and in so much more. Instead let me congratulate Google and be super excited about this.
Weather-based internet access has always been a geek-dream, and although this is a good start, it is only the beginning and will soon have to evolve into less physically manipulable media such as balloons. But like I said, this is an excellent start. Moreover, the way Google projects it, it aims for global internet access to aid network of information, mainly practical and professional ones such as medical information, farming, etc. I am sure this are the lateral projects of Google as well and they will fund heavily on it.
I can't express how happy I am that the future is coming sooner that expected.
Good Guy Google!
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This is humanity at it's finest.
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I like Google, I think they are a cool company. I wonder if I will like them 50 years from now when we have Google Governments :-)
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Part of me thinks this is cool and useful. The other part of me thinks that this just gives more data and reach for the NSA
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Google continuing to be on the cutting edge of technology and change in the world. While this obviously isn't completely altruistic, I think the benefits greatly outweigh the harms and Google should be commended for doing this.
Also the video is amazingly well done.
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I, for one, welcome our new Google overlord.
Houston we have a problem.
Fuck New Zealand! Hobbitses I'm coming!
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So this is basically just a low cost almost-satellite network? Which is still pretty cool.
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Ok, did some research, found this:
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/project-loon-7-things-to-know-about-google-internet-beaming-balloons-379890
1. The helium-filled balloons are made from a thin polyethylene film and are 15 meters (49 feet) in diameter when fully inflated.
2. They float in the stratosphere about 20 kilometers (12 miles) above the Earth.
3. The balloons would sail on the stratosphere's winds in a continuous circuit around the globe. The balloons come equipped with flight computers, and Google would control the balloons' altitude from the ground, keeping them moving along a desired channel by using different winds at different heights.
4. Google says past attempts to control balloons have involved tethering them or using expensive motors to keep them in place. They say simply sailing with the winds was one of the company's breakthrough ideas.
5. Google says the balloons have the potential to provide Internet access far more cheaply, quickly and widely than traditional underground fiber cables. One downside is that computer users on the ground would need to install a receiver to get the signal.
6. The transmitter on each balloon would beam down the Internet to an area about 1,250 square kilometers (780 square miles) - twice the size of New York City.
7. Managing the flight of just one balloon in our complex and ever-changing atmosphere is a huge challenge. Trying to harmonize an entire fleet of thousands of them will be mind-boggling.
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On June 15 2013 18:25 semantics wrote:
So this is basically just a low cost almost-satellite network? Which is still pretty cool.
Yeah that's exactly what i was thinking.
Not that original then when you think about it, but still pretty cool.
I don't think it will see extensive and widespread use tbh. I doubt google is doing this for altruistic motives or to get people connected for monetary gain. This is just pr.
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I hope that it will be somehow possible to gain access to the network simply by a metal rod and any electronic device. It would be so nice for the North Koreans to gain access to, say, Korean Wikipedia.
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Lalalaland34498 Posts
This is pretty darn cool. Have they said anything about what speeds they will be able to offer?
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I don´t really know what to say about this. Did they already talked about how many balloons will be floating up there?
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o This is realy nice if they manage to make this work
6. The transmitter on each balloon would beam down the Internet to an area about 1,250 square kilometers (780 square miles) - twice the size of New York City.
Then they will need a ton of baloons lol, like 1 million to cover the entire earth?
Not sure this is realistic, a baloon in the air every 30-40 km.
Wouldnt it be cheaper to just make ground stations with big antenna?
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skynet!
see the thing is you don't need to provide all the access all the time.
People will be happy if for 1 hour in a week they get to use the internet. That alone is very powerful already.
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had to check the date to make sure i wasnt back in april.
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On June 15 2013 18:48 Rassy wrote:
o This is realy nice if they manage to make this work
6. The transmitter on each balloon would beam down the Internet to an area about 1,250 square kilometers (780 square miles) - twice the size of New York City.
Then they will need a ton of baloons lol, like 1 million to cover the entire earth?
Not sure this is realistic, a baloon in the air every 30-40 km.
Wouldnt it be cheaper to just make ground stations with big antenna?
Antennas are costly from a land battle stand point especially large ones. Number one problem Cellphone providers have in populated area's is that they want to erect larger or put more antennas up but residents don't like them because they think they are ugly or think they cause cancer etc. So everyone just complains that cellphone service is shitty. Not really sure who controls the stratosphere as that's above weather and plane travel.
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On June 15 2013 18:15 either I or wrote:
I, for one, welcome our new Google overlord.
Houston we have a problem.
Fuck New Zealand! Hobbitses I'm coming!
looks like my country has become a mythical land filled with creatures that dont actually exist
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Ghwti4I.jpg)
