Google’s latest innovation isn’t a social network or online collaboration tool, but a balloon-powered network of Internet connectivity nodes spread across the South Island of New Zealand. Called Project Loon, the new network uses special balloons situated above New Zealand to allow for antenna-based Internet connectivity.
The project will launch later this month in the Canterbury region of New Zealand’s sparsely populated South Island. Google’s network of high-altitude balloons will be launched from outside Christchurch, providing a connection to a team of volunteer ‘test pilots’ based in the Canterbury region.
The new network could go global if early tests are successful, bringing a powerful new option to the table for the billions of people that have regular access to home Internet connections, and an innovative solution to the estimated four billion that lack a stable connection.
If successful, the project could also grow into a major competitor for existing DSL and fibre Internet connectivity companies. Google’s network lets users connect to the balloon system from a high-powered antenna outside their building, making it possible to bypass the traditional telephone line network for connectivity.
The balloon network is situated approximately 20 kilometres above the surface of the earth, above commercial air routes. The balloons can be strategically lowered and raised in order to make use of wind, allowing the network to travel around the planet, increasing connectivity in sparsely populated regions.
Google’s innovative new balloon network is controlled by an algorithm that moves the balloons automatically to achieve maximum coverage. Project Loon is entirely self-powered, with each balloon equipped with solar panels that allow it to extract its daily energy requirements from the direct sun it’s exposed to while in space.
