Project Loon - Is a project started inside Google 2 years ago lead by their Chief Technical Architect Rich Devaul.
Their goal is to create an easy network architecture that can provide affordable internet access for everyone located anywhere on earth. Especially for users who live in rural, mountain or remote area where laying infrastructure is a great challenge for the service provider and the large amount of cost involved.
From the data shown it seem like everyone is "should"have internet access but that is not the case. Currently only 1/3 of the world population had access to internet and there is still 2/3 of untapped market.
So Google starts their Project Loon, where they will float big balloons up in the stratosphere (about 20km) that is much higher than the currently commercial plane fly (about 10km) and be able to control the balloons from ground stations.
In the stratosphere the winds is generally in slow-moving and each layer of wind varies in direction and magnitude. Software algorithms will be used to determine where it will go.
In the stratosphere the winds is generally in slow-moving and each layer of wind varies in direction and magnitude. Software algorithms will be used to determine where it will go.
Each balloons will have a parachute for to be landed, a solar panel which can keep the hardware running and recharge himself and the equipement which control the system, radio antennas and to communicate with other balloons.
Each balloons can provide internet at about 3G connection to a diameter of 40km. Household on the ground will need to fix a red balloon which work as an antenna to link up the bigger balloons in the stratosphere, in turns with other ballons and finally back to the one of the tower on the ground which will connect to the local internet provider.
But this is still in the experimenting stage, recently is it tested with 50 users in New Zealand and there is some degrees of success.
I mean this is a great product but there still remain a lot of challengers and unknown questions.
Advantage for Google and the world
Unknown
Each balloons can provide internet at about 3G connection to a diameter of 40km. Household on the ground will need to fix a red balloon which work as an antenna to link up the bigger balloons in the stratosphere, in turns with other ballons and finally back to the one of the tower on the ground which will connect to the local internet provider.
But this is still in the experimenting stage, recently is it tested with 50 users in New Zealand and there is some degrees of success.
I mean this is a great product but there still remain a lot of challengers and unknown questions.
Advantage for Google and the world
- If this project successfully, it can help google to generate more revenue depending on what and how they intent to use it this product.
- Since more internet user mean they can help advertiser to reach a even more audience then the currently number
- If there is earthquake where ground cable or underwater cable are broken we still got the sky for connection and provide the outside world what happen inside and aids can be send to them faster
- More users can be connected to the internet
Unknown
- Is google going to start their internet company to provide internet connection?
- Or are they going to sell this technology or services to the internet provider?
- How many balloons are need to keep the connection stable since the balloons will be floating around
- Will the country government allowing so many "unknown" balloons floating above their country.
- Who controlling the space? Since sky is control by individual country
- Do we now need more people to in charge of monitoring where the balloons?
- We are having crappy 3G Handphone connection, compare to fibre connection will the result be the same?
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