http://liliputing.com/2013/08/google-to-test-its-balloon-powered-internet-net...



OK, so Google's high flying Wifi antenna systems proved out workable for covering large areas of New Zealand's deserted highlands with workable Wifi, test was successful.     Balloons are now dispersing around the globe as we speak.

(since that is what them balloons do -- disperse randomly)

So, the testing now moves to the LOON home base in California, where a stream of new balloons will be released and a whole lot more people will be signed up for the free service in an effort to see what sorts of numerical user loads the system can maintain off the fewest number of balloons "in range" at any given time.  

They need throughput testing, in other words .... ha, that's a crock of shite because if it works OK they will just keep sending up the balloons and then they will open up a web site to sell the reception antenna systems for cheap.

Sign up here to get a free LOON reception antenna if you live in the central valley area of California that is.  

https://plus.google.com/+ProjectLoon/posts/B2gv6QNi6mx

Also look for Google to be eventually selling bandwidth on their balloons to other commercial uses such as cellular phone services, TV stations and such like communications needs.

Satellite is really way too high up and the receivers are just too expensive.   The LOON stuff may be at about the right height (15 miles up) and the right cost (a lot less expensive) and with a web of balloons following the air currents and circulating back when moved to a different altitude the system may be workable for Google.

And they can have all those Google Earth camera trucks that are roaming around just go pick them up whenever they get a pinhole and land unexpectedly.  

Or they can post an app for android phones that will show all the current locations of downed LOON balloons so folks can have LOON races to "capture the balloon" and return it to get a social networking prize.    The app can easily spot one that is down because it doesn't move any in an hour's time.


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stuff changes ....   the older you get the more you expect it to, and always in new ways you would not have ever thought it could.

15 miles up is pretty high, at the mid to upper bands of the atmosphere.   As long as 2-3 of the things are within line of sight you should get good signal as they are using satellite band width radio signals.

The technology itself is pretty neat, an internet exists between the balloons themselves and whichever is balloon is closer to you doing the main work of up down to you.

The router up in the sky is a high capacity router that can handle thousands of individual signal conversations at the same time.

With multiple balloons up in line of sight all throwing packets at you likely your real throughput will always exceed the old telephone router rates even on a bad weather day.

Remember, this isn't pay-me primo high speed cable speeds, it is supposed to be free-ware to the poor people anywhere type speeds.

Still, what we do here on the list can run off of ANY speed of connection, it just takes some folks longer to see all the pretty pictures.


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What does it mean to us?    Phones will work anywhere up in the mountains if you are up on a ridge line and not inside a steep sided valley.

old_rider wrote on 08/22/13 at 05:25:38:


Yep, just when you got a good signal the balloon gets picked up by a jet stream and zippy-do-da its on the other side of the continent or ocean.

I've been increasingly amazed at how important bandwidth is these days.  In theory, stuff like this board or other text biased websites should be able to load properly with just about any speed modem. However, as average internet speeds available to the public increase, the websites, advertisements, and graphics get more elaborate, thereby requiring these new speeds. I currently have nothing but 3G service for my internet, and I can tell you, while it was sufficient 2 years ago, it is not now. Even for this board. You should see how long it takes for Lancer's signature to load! As long as the rest of the world is a few steps ahead, I don't see these silly baloons being worth a hoot to anyone. But, I guess time will tell.