Internet access around the whole world is a crazy concept to think about, but it is actually very possible here in the near future. Project Loon is a group balloons comprised of an inflatable balloon called the envelope, the envelope hangs aloft two solar panels and a small compartment containing all the balloons electronics. Loon balloons hover in the stratosphere (twice as high as airplanes and weather conditions) and will ascend and descend to the right layer of wind which will navigate them to their desired located. Project Loon has partnered with telecommunications companies to share cellular spectrum to allow people to directly connect to the balloon network through their electronics. Project Loon hopes to improve internet access throughout the world and eliminate all the dead areas throughout the world where it isn’t available and I hope to flourish your knowledge on Project Loon by writing this essay.
Project Loon was developed by Google. Google saw a need to provide internet access to rural and remote areas, especially during times of emergencies and natural disasters and that is the mission of the project. Mike Cassidy is the Vice President of Google and current leader of the project (Project Loon)
The Loon Balloon measures 12 meters tall and 15 meters in diameter. It consists of three-millimeter-thick of polyethylene plastic. Polyethylene plastic is the world’s most common and most used plastics, it is used in plastic bags, plastic bottles and on earth there are about 80 million tons being used. The balloon can maintain a constant pressure in changing climates or heights in the Stratosphere. When the balloon is launched it is inflated partially with helium and when is in the Stratosphere it is full size. When the balloon is in the air it should be able to stay afloat for 100 days or 3 complete laps around Earth before it is taken down for maintenance. Solar panels, power the balloon and also charge a battery for night use. Inside is an electronic box that holds a flight computer with navigational algorithms; an altitude-control system; a battery; and a handful of radios and antennas for receiving and relaying 4G LTE signals (How it Works).
In 2008 Google was considering contacting the Space Data Corporation, a company that sends balloons carrying small base stations to truckers and oil companies but never did. Unofficial development of the product began in 2011 with a series of trial runs in California’s Central Valley. Google officially announced the project on June 14, 2013. In February 2014 a record for a balloon lasting 50 days in the Stratosphere was recorded. Then in November with upgraded balloons that record was broken and changed to 130 days, then once again it was broken and changed to 187 days, over 6 months. On July 28, 2015 Google signed an agreement with officials of Information and Communication Technology Agency to launch production on a mass scale. Google partnered with Indonesia’s XL Axiata, Indosat and Telkomsel to try and connect 17,000 islands to the country in October 29, 2015 (Project Loon).
The balloons have not yet been put into the northern hemispheres, reason being more people in the northern hemisphere have internet access than in the southern hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere is less populated than the Northern. 75 balloons are floating in the southern hemisphere automatically adjusting themselves and learning more complex wind currents to keep them on the path and stay afloat. By next year Google thinks they may be able to create a 50-mile-wide ring of continuous internet service around the world. The first customers will be in rural South America, Africa and Oceania being able to for the first time sign up cellular LTE services provided by the Google Balloons. (Oremus)
In conclusion if the Loon project continues working the world will see many advantages. During a catastrophic event, natural disasters or tragedy there will be easier means to communicate that most places didn’t have before. Loon Balloons will give people in third world countries, underdeveloped countries and rural areas the technology they need to make a world wide connection. With the balloons the world my see on an international level many changes, being able to contact desprate countries with no other way of communication will be good and has never been done before.