Internet via Balloons... The Google-way
This is the incredible story of how the Alphabet subsidiary Google Loon recently launched their “internet-beaming balloons” from Puerto Rica, then sent them past Brazil, around The Cape of Good Hope and finally over Kenya - this after some mid-ocean testing to “train their machine learning”.
The project was famously used to bring 4G/LTE mobile internet to Puerto Rica following the 2017 hurricanes which caused major outages. Similarly, they now plan to bring internet to Kenyans who were previously off the internet-grid.
The balloons are in effect controlled by AI while powered by the wind - the systems calculate wind stream directions while using gases to higher/lower the balloon's altitude, in order to hitch a free (and green) ride on these streams all the way to the destination.
While operating from the stratosphere (18 km to 25 km above the earth's surface, and twice as high as a commercial plane) the balloons receive mobile data connectivity from a ground source, then redistribute coverage over a 40km radius - supplying data to previously disconnected remote areas of the world.
For context, traditional mobile base stations in rural areas provide coverage for anywhere between 3km - 9km, with urban coverage being as low as 200m (5G mmWave will be even lower).
The below plot shows the flight paths of four balloons over 24 hours while working together in Kenya airspace. The colours on the trajectory line represent the altitudes of the flights and demonstrate how the navigation system keeps them constantly moving up & down to achieve their mission.
* Credit for all photos/satellite imagery: Google Loon