Google’s Project Loon is a new venture that tackles rural and remote areas in dire need of internet access. How do they do that? Why?
By connecting a large network of high-altitude balloons and straddling them on the Earth’s stratosphere, of course! The ambitious project, earning a successful prototype already, started on June 30, 2013 on the outskirts of New Zealand’s South Island of Christchurch and Canterbury. Traveling at speeds of 20KM, the balloons would be guided by capable software algorithms and the Earth’s natural layer of winds to create a huge network capable of bouncing signals to the antenna (belonging to the consumer) below and back.
To appease the minds of tech-junkies, the balloons are made of polyethylene plastic capable of withstanding high pressure altitudes (15m wide: 12m tall) and are powered by electronic units through solar-powered panels (100W of energy); one single balloon can cover an area of 40KM, delivering internet speeds comparable to 3G networks!
