3 minute read
Base stations
Is it a bird? Is it a plane?
No. It’s a base station. Or at least it has some of the characteristics of a base station – but it’s floating 20 km above the ground. Scott Coriell explains to Vaughan O’Grady what makes the Loon approach to communications unique.
“I T IS EASIEST to think about Loon as a floating cell tower or base station,” says Scott Coriell, head of global communications, Loon, a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, delivering connectivity to people in unserved and underserved communities around the world
He’s not joking. Loon has taken the essential components of a cell tower and made them light enough and durable enough to operate at 20kms above Earth. From here, these floating cell towers can relay a local mobile network operator’s signal directly to a user’s handset below.
As for where the handset and user would be, currently Loon’s technology is ideally suited for locations that are plus or minus 20 degrees from the equator. “As the technology advances, we expect that potential service area to broaden and open up new markets for consideration,” says Coriell. “Currently we are in discussions with partners around the world about how Loon can help provide stratospheric communications solutions.”
Loon combines advancements in materials science, atmospheric modelling, machine learning, communications systems, and more. Or, as Coriell puts it: “Loon has taken the most essential components of a cell tower and redesigned them to be light and durable enough to be carried by a balloon 20 km up in the stratosphere.”
Essentially Loon balloons can reach locations around the world from launch sites by navigating the wind. In the stratosphere,
different wind currents exist at different altitudes. By moving up or down into these different currents, balloons can change speed and direction and navigate to where they need to go. And, says Coriell, “By moving with the wind, Loon balloons can be arranged into small clusters to provide periods of prolonged connectivity in a defined area.” How prolonged? “Our current flight duration record is 223 days.”
Clearly this isn’t just a bag with a tower attached. Loon’s balloons include a suite of highly sophisticated technologies that are monitored remotely from a mission control centre in Mountain View, California, where specially trained flight engineers monitor the Loon fleet and make adjustments and changes as necessary to ensure its safe and efficient operation. And if it needs to be taken out of service, the lift gas keeping the balloon aloft is released and the parachute automatically deploys to control the landing. “Once on the ground, specially trained Loon recovery teams are dispatched to collect the balloon and its components,” Coriell explains.
A big challenge, inevitably, is not technological but regulatory. Permissions to operate above a country are critical to Loon’s
A new way to extend internet access to rural and remote populations.
ability to extend internet access to rural and remote populations that lack adequate mobile internet service.
Coriell explains: “Loon exceeds the international standards for unmanned free balloons set by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). These standards form the basis for many countries’ regulations around the world. While specific regulations differ from country to country, we comply with all applicable international and local laws as required in locations where we operate.”
That means working with governments across the world to ensure Loon gets the appropriate approvals, which are a prerequisite to the company operating in a given region.
And in case you were wondering how they avoid 747s, Coriell says: “In terms of flight paths, Loon operates in Earth’s stratosphere, 20km above sea level. This is twice as high as commercial aircraft, and well above groundbased weather events.”
It’s early days yet, but this is a concept that may one day compete cost-effectively with other approaches such as satellites and microwave for rural connectivity solutions. Certainly Coriell thinks so. As he says: “We believe Loon is a cost-effective solution that will allow mobile network operators to expand their service to places where it has not been possible to do so before.” ✆
