Giant floating balloons deliver mobile service to Puerto Rico
- 6 years ago
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Giant balloons are now delivering mobile access to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, thanks to a team-up between Google's parent company Alphabet, and AT&T.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, more than 68% of cell sites in Puerto Rico are still out of service as of OCtober 20 — one month after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
Reuters reports that to help restore communications, Project Loon has deployed giant balloons, which use the AT&T network, to provide emergency internet service on the island.
The service is limited to those with LTE-enabled phones, and supports text messaging, email, and basic web browsing.
The balloons float 20 kilometers up in the stratosphere, providing service to a roughly 5,000 square-kilometer area. Solar panels power daytime operations, while also charging a battery for nighttime use.
Though still an experimental technology, Project Loon proved effective in early 2017, when it provided basic connectivity to flood-affected areas in Peru.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, more than 68% of cell sites in Puerto Rico are still out of service as of OCtober 20 — one month after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
Reuters reports that to help restore communications, Project Loon has deployed giant balloons, which use the AT&T network, to provide emergency internet service on the island.
The service is limited to those with LTE-enabled phones, and supports text messaging, email, and basic web browsing.
The balloons float 20 kilometers up in the stratosphere, providing service to a roughly 5,000 square-kilometer area. Solar panels power daytime operations, while also charging a battery for nighttime use.
Though still an experimental technology, Project Loon proved effective in early 2017, when it provided basic connectivity to flood-affected areas in Peru.