Project Loon’s Communication Balloons
Posted by Eli Bowser on
Google X’s Communication Balloon System
FCC Approves Project Loon
The Federal Communications Commission has recently approved Project Loon an experimental license to operate in Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands for the purpose of helping the islands regain connectivity as reported by the The Verge.
According to FCC chairman Ajit Pai, “More than two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck, millions of Puerto Ricans are still without access to much-needed communications services” & “that’s why we need to take innovative approaches to help restore connectivity on the island. Project Loon is one such approach.”
Libby Leahy, a spokesman for Google’s X division says, “We’re grateful for the support of the FCC & the Puerto Rican authorities as we work hard to see it it’s possible to use Loon balloons to bring emergency connectivity to the island during this time of need.”
What is Project Loon?
According to the official Project Loon website, it “is a network of balloons travelling on the edge of space, designed to extend Internet connectivity to people in rural & remote areas worldwide.” Project Loon’s high-altitude balloons are designed to send cellular and/or internet signals from more than 12 miles above the earth.