Google is well known for its innovative ideas and lately the company has been working on many. Loon balloon is another such idea that has emerged from Google X lab. Google X lab is also responsible for projects like Google Glass.
With the project Loon Balloon Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) hopes to provide internet facilities to the remote areas of the world at a reasonably low cost; it is not all just for the benefit of the customer this project will allow Google to get an even bigger user pool. Internet is often called a global community, however, the fact is that about two-third of the world’s population does not have access to the internet. Project Loon aims at connecting people in both remote as well as rural areas through the world of internet by giving them access to it at a very low cost.
To make this work Google is planning to send helium filled balloons to the remote areas that have antennas emitting 4G signals to phones and homes; these balloons will circle the globe on winds which are stratospheric.
To make this dream a reality Google had run tests both in the U.S and New Zealand which didn’t go too well. In the U.S the balloons that were flying low destroyed the power lines and in New Zealand the balloon landed in the sea, which was then mistaken to be a crashed plane causing a bit of a chaos. Google at the time of the New Zealand trial confessed to the Wall Street Journal that keeping the balloons, which are free-floating in one place, is not an easy task due to the winds.
This time Google is planning on having several trials in Australia. These trials will be the first of its kind in Australia. Google has partnered with one of Australia’s largest wireless carrier and telecom company Telstra, which will help Google in carrying out the trials. Telstra is also providing its base stations and a part of its 2.6GHz spectrum to Google’s project Loon Balloons.
According to an Australian associated press, in December a trial will take place in which 20 balloons will be launch across the western Queensland in Australia. This will be done with the cooperation of Telstra. Google does not plan to limit itself to Australia only; the company aims to partner up with wireless companies across the globe to make project Loon a success. Google has a long term plan of leasing its balloons to the companies around the world instead of allowing companies to purchase purchasing access to the spectrum.
Google’s project Loon Balloon seems to be very attractive but it has some complications that need to be sorted out. The project seems to be a cry for the moon at the moment and it’s not certain how much time Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) will take to make it a reality; moreover it will take a considerable amount of investment to make it flawless.
It will be interesting to see whether these trials in Australia will be successful or they will also end up like the ones held in the U.S and New Zealand. After the not-so-optimistic reviews and predictions regarding Google Glass, the company would be anxious to have a success under its belt because if you want to be seen as an innovative company then you should innovate successfully!
