lphabet’s Loon Balloons Provide their first ommercial Internet Service in Kenya Jon Porter
fiber optic cables, but to o er a “third layer” of connectivity to help get more people connected to the internet worldwide. However, the Times reports that the company has been criticized for launching its balloons in parts of the country that already have developed internet infrastructure and that some people in poorer areas of Kenya can’t a ord the phones needed to connect to its 4G service. Going forward, Loon says it hopes to o er internet connectivity as part of more commercial services around the world. It also has several other projects in the pipeline. It plans to o er internet access to remote parts of the Amazon this year via a partnership with Internet Para Todos Perú (www.theverge.com/2019/11/21/20976065/ alphabet-loon-internet-balloon-remote-parts-amazon-2020telefonica), and it’s also signed an agreement with
Telesat to use its networking software to manage the company’s low Earth orbit satellites (www. theverge.com/2019/1/31/18200879/alphabet-project-loonsdn-networking-technology-telesat-satellite-deal). Finally,
it’s partnered with AT&T in preparation to use its balloons to provide internet service to disasterstricken areas (www.theverge.com/2020/5/6/21249025/
stratospheric winds. Individual balloons can alternate between providing internet connectivity directly and acting as a link in the mesh network. loon-att-partnership-internet-balloons-disaster-responseThe New York Times notes that they stay up in global) and with Vodacom to provide internet to the air for over 100 days before coming back down Mozambique. to earth (www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/world/africa/ www.theverge.com/2020/7/7/21315961/alphabetloon-balloons-internet-kenya-telkom-4g-remotegoogle-loon-balloon-kenya.html). Loon says the aim of areas its balloons isn’t to replace satellite connectivity or ground-based technologies like cell towers or Image credit: Medium, standardmedia.co.ke
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