Google blimps will carry wireless signal across Africa

[dawg]

The company is intending to finance, build and help operate networks from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia, with the aim of connecting around a billion people to the web.

 

To help enable the campaign, Google has been putting together an ecosystem of low-cost smartphones running Android on low-power microprocessors. Rather than traditional infrastructure, Google's signal will be carried by high-altitude platforms - balloons and blimps - that can transmit to areas of hundreds of square kilometres.

Source

 

Very cool.

[Samskip]

This article already exists.  http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/20000-google-blimps-will-carry-wireless-signal-across-africa/

[dawg]

ah. That's what I get for not using the search feature!

[Samskip]

ah. That's what I get for not using the search feature!

 

Lesson leared I guess.   :)

[LOLPhilips]

I find this pretty rediculous (srry google)

[xAdam]

Anyone seen this? Google bringing the internet to africa! Using their advertising heavy blimp! Another step to overtaking the world..

 

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/10084512/Google-blimps-will-bring-the-web-to-Africa.html

 

 

[ixi_your_face]

All i can think of right now is this :

And with google, i'm completely fine with it.

[Hyydrah]

There's already a thread about this, but nice find.

[Godlygamer23]

This is interesting. You'll find the link at the bottom of this post. While the idea on paper seems great...how good would it be in practice? Leave your comments below.(and please have a peaceful discussion) So one advantage to this idea is areas that don't have WiFi would have it, like deserts and areas of similar nature. Apparently it's called Project Loon as stated here in the article, and loon it might just be....

 

What is Project Loon exactly? Only a plan to get hundreds and thousands of high-pressure balloons to circle the Earth and given internet to billions of people on Earth. It's part of Google's famed Google X Lab which is bringing the world Google Glass and self-driving cars.

Now, one thing that comes to mind would also be the method at which the balloons would be controlled. According to the article, through variable buoyancy. Another quote from the article...

How the heck will Google control the balloons? Variable buoyancy, apparently. It means steering by tweaking altitude to find desirable wind currents. That sounds like guessing to me but whatever Google insists it's controlled better than that. Google lets the balloons fly naturally but also moves them up or down to catch winds in the direction Google wants the balloons to travel in. The balloons will be carried by wind at altitudes twice as high as planes and "beam Internet access to the ground at speeds similar to today’s 3G networks or faster."

http://gizmodo.com/google-wants-to-use-balloons-to-cover-the-world-in-wi-f-513537918?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

 

[calebp123]

This is interesting. You'll find the link at the bottom of this post. While the idea on paper seems great...how good would it be in practice? Leave your comments below.(and please have a peaceful discussion) So one advantage to this idea is areas that don't have WiFi would have it, like deserts and areas of similar nature. Apparently it's called Project Loon as stated here in the article, and loon it might just be....

 

Now, one thing that comes to mind would also be the method at which the balloons would be controlled. According to the article, through variable buoyancy. Another quote from the article...

http://gizmodo.com/google-wants-to-use-balloons-to-cover-the-world-in-wi-f-513537918?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

I think its a really good idea. 

[matto97]

ok but what about when the balloons come down. cause they cant stay up for ever. i think its just not cost effective at all. but still love the idea :D

[Godlygamer23]

ok but what about when the balloons come down. cause they cant stay up for ever. i think its just not cost effective at all. but still love the idea :D

Maybe we can find a way to keep them afloat up there.

[Skyfire]

ok but what about when the balloons come down. cause they cant stay up for ever. i think its just not cost effective at all. but still love the idea :D

 

Well, they can just fill her back up. I'm sure they'll only use hydrogen, or maybe helium, which is cheap.

[mgsstar]

This is an excellent idea! If we have this we don't need to buy mobile data anymore since there is wifi everywhere :D

[Godlygamer23]

Off topic, but what would happen with the whole UFO thing? If someone wasn't aware of this...and they saw these everywhere...would they think it's a UFO?(of course, it is technically)

[Andreshk]

I don't think you could actually see them - twice the altitude of commercial air flights, and something tells me they won't be even close to an Airbus in size... so don't worry about supersticious people mistaking them for UFOs and freaking out, they won't  :D

 

My personal opinion: if anyone can deliver 3G speeds from 20km away, it's Google. And I still doubt that's possible, but it is up to them to disprove me now  :P

[naca1227]

Google wants to do a lot it seems

[Godlygamer23]

Why wants to do a lot it seems

What?

[naca1227]

What?

I am tired as hell sorry lol I edited it

[boggle4321]

if they use helium (which is the only real option as hydrogen is flammable) they might run into other problems, as there is a world wide helium shortage, and helium dos not grow back

[joelthezombie15]

I searched nothing came up.

 

Google's Project Loon

http://www.google.com/loon/

 

 

So Google loon is internet for the entire world delivered by balloons floating in the stratosphere. The reason why they are doing this is to give the world internet and so they are sending off a bunch of balloons to 20Km in the air and are hoping to Give the world internet. 

 

Now i think this is really cool but i cant help but feel that this is just a "Look at what we can do!" type things but it is cool!

 

 

 

{Source}

I did originally find this on reddit so some of you may have seen this already. http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1gdsy3/google_introduces_project_loon_balloonpowered/

[calebp123]

Already a thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/26374-google-wants-to-cover-the-world-in-wifi-balloons/

[naca1227]

Already a thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/26374-google-wants-to-cover-the-world-in-wifi-balloons/#entry335903

[naca1227]

Already a thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/26374-google-wants-to-cover-the-world-in-wifi-balloons/

You little..

[joelthezombie15]

Already a thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/26374-google-wants-to-cover-the-world-in-wifi-balloons/

I searched and nothing showed up so, not my fault :D

 

Already a thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/26374-google-wants-to-cover-the-world-in-wifi-balloons/#entry335903

Lol, already posted

 

You little..

lol