Internet giant Google has launched an ambitious plan to use a ring of huge balloons to provide internet to the two-thirds of the world currently without web access. In New Zealand today scientists floated 30 helium-filled balloons around 20 kilometres into the stratosphere, carrying antennae linked to ground base stations. Wi-fi signals were then successfully beamed from another part of the country to the balloons, and then to the homes of trial participants. While still in the early stages, Google hopes to eventually have thousands of balloons circling the Earth, ensuring there is no part of the globe that cannot access the internet. Internet giant Google has launched an ambitious plan to use a ring of huge balloons to provide internet to the two-thirds of the world currently without web access. In New Zealand today scientists floated 30 helium-filled balloons around 20 kilometres into the stratosphere, carrying antennae linked to ground base stations. Wi-fi signals were then successfully beamed from another part of the country to the balloons, and then to the homes of trial participants. While still in the early stages, Google hopes to eventually have thousands of balloons circling the Earth, ensuring there is no part of the globe that cannot access the internet.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:05:06 +0000
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