Google has announced it needs 300 balloons or more to make a continuous string around the world. Each balloon will provide connectivi...
Google has announced it needs 300 balloons or more to make a
continuous string around the world. Each balloon will provide connectivity to a
ground area of 40km (24.9miles) in diameter below it and the initial ring will
be able to cover a small part of the planet as it circles a section of the
Southern Hemisphere.
These superpressure balloons are made from tightly sealed
plastic capable of containing pressurized lighter-than-air gases. The balloons
will be able to stay in the air for longer than the normal pressurized balloons.
It was first used by the US Air Force in the 1950’s and more recently NASA
experimented on it and claimed they could be deployed into Mars one day.
According to Google, Project Loon (name for the balloon
project), would be a cheaper option than installing fibre optics cables or
installing masts for mobile phones. Three of Indonesia’s mobile networks have
announced they would start testing Project Loon’s transmissions in 2016.
