What is Project Loon?

Many of us think of the Internet as a global community. But two-thirds of the world’s population does not yet have Internet access. Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.

Project Loon is an ambitious project created by Google X that aims to bring balloon-powered Internet access to everyone in the world. The project uses high-altitude balloons placed in the stratosphere to create a network of wireless access points, which can provide Internet access to rural and remote areas. The balloons are powered by solar energy, and they can stay in the air for more than 100 days. The project has been tested in several countries, including Brazil, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, and it has been successful in providing Internet access to many people in those countries. Project Loon is an innovative solution to the problem of providing Internet access to everyone, and it could potentially revolutionize the way people access the Internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m96tYpEk1Ao

The Technology

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Project Loon balloons float in the stratosphere, twice as high as airplanes and the weather. They are carried around the Earth by winds and they can be steered by rising or descending to an altitude with winds moving in the desired direction. People connect to the balloon network using a special Internet antenna attached to their building. The signal bounces from balloon to balloon, then to the global Internet back on Earth.

The Pilot Test

illustration-whereitisgoingProject Loon starts in June 2013 with an experimental pilot in New Zealand. A small group of Project Loon pioneers will test the technology in Christchurch and Canterbury.

What’s Next?

Follow the Project Loon Google+ page to stay informed about Project Loon’s progress.