If the Internet of Things is a new buzzword we should all become accustomed to, Balloonternet might be another ordeal entirely.
Officials announced earlier today that Sri Lanka will be one of the first countries to benefit from Google’s Project Loon; an initiative which will see helium balloons offer high-speed internet coverage in certain geographical locations.
The balloons themselves will begin rolling out across Sri Lanka in the following months – the first large scale and real-world test of the project since Google first announced it in 2011.
Sri Lankan Foreign and IT Minisiter, Mangala Samaraweera, said in an official statement that “the entire Sri Lankan island ““ every village from (southern) Dondra to (northern) Point Pedro ““ will be covered with affordable high speed internet using Google Loon’s balloon technology.”
While Sri Lanka might at first seem an odd fit for Project Loon – which has been envisaged by many as an initiatve capable of offering high-speed internet access across less developed countries in Africa – the country is actually an ideal fit.
Sri Lanka – a small nation, geographically – bears only an approximate figure of 3-4 million active internet users out of a total population of 20 million. It is hoped that Project Loon will bolster internet access between communities.
Project Loon itself functions by making use of high-altitude helium balloons which float approximately 20 miles above ground, and accommodate 3G networks. Signals are based from balloon to balloon, and are tethered to ground stations which connect to the web.
Project Loon is an initiative of great interest to developing countries across the world, which is expected to connect thousands of people to the internet who previously have not enjoyed easy connectivity.
The project is due to begin implementation shortly, and will, according to both Google and Sri-Lanka, begin roll-out over the remaining course of the year.
