One of the latest sci-fi-esque projects to come out of Google's skunkworks is one that could replace traditional internet infrastructure with high altitude balloons beaming the net down to earth.
While those who struggled to use Google's free WiFi in Mountain View may be skeptical, more than a few developing nations are taking seriously "Project Loon," a Google X project. Google X is Google's research and development wing which is developing Google Glass, self-driving cars and now, "internet from balloons 20 kilometers up," said Google's Mike Cassidy in a talk at Google headquarters on Friday. The talk was part of the InterPlanetary Network Special Interest Group's Space Technology Innovations Conference.
Yes, there's a group dedicated to bringing the internet to outer space.
"This project, we hope, is good for people who don't have access to start with," Cassidy said, adding that 5 billion people worldwide still don't have internet access and "28 countries have asked for us to come to deliver internet."
That's because it could be much cheaper to float Project Loon's high altitude balloons in the sky than to run fiber internet throughout a country. A special antenna is placed on a buildings to connect to the high altitude network, though Cassidy said his team is exploring ways to do without it. So far it provides 3G service, with single digit megabit-per-second connection speeds.
via WiFiNovation | Scoop.it
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