Google to launch stratospheric Internet balloons in India?

According to a latest report in WSJ, it states that Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc is in talks with the Indian government to launch ‘Stratospheric Internet Balloons’ ( aka Project Loon) to provide Internet access to remote areas in the country. If this development fructifies, it will be a shot in the arm for the ‘Digital India’ initiatives by the current government. Going by the report, the Indian government is said to have had conversations with Google executives and the matter is said to be under consideration.

‘Project Loon’ Demystified

Google calls it ‘ Balloon Powered Internet for Everyone’. It is indeed a disruptive access technology that promises connecting the unconnected- in other words a technology that bridges the digital divide. As per information available from Google, it states that two-thirds of the world’s population does not yet have Internet. Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas. This balloons also comes in handy after natural disasters when traditional access infrastructure is damaged, the balloons can be used to restore access in the interim period.

Since the balloons are placed in stratosphere, which is twice the height of the peak height an airplane can fly- the weather patterns are unique and characterised by layered wind patterns. The balloon ambles between the different layers as per the access and coverage needs using the direction of the wind and ascends and descends accordingly. According to information available from Google, it says, “ Software algorithms determine where balloon need to go, then moves each one into a layer of wind blowing in the right direction. By moving with the wind, the balloons can be arranged to form one large communication network.”

Google gets spectrum from telcos for Internet access and users can connect to the balloons directly form their phone s and LTE enabled devices.

Google launched ‘Project Loon’ in 2013 with a pilot project in New Zealand and subsequently tested in California and in Brazil. Google is targeting India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka for ‘Project Loon.’

Project Loon has major positive ramifications for India since only less that 20% of the India's 1.2 bn plus population have access to the Internet, in this backdrop, this initiative by Google will jumpstart a new access revolution and will connect the unconnected.