[1st-mile-nm] Google Loon balloons to help restore Puerto Rico's cell networks

[Richard Lowenberg]

Balloons to help restore Puerto Rico's cell networks

https://phys.org/news/2017-10-balloons-puerto-rico-cell-networks.html
October 8, 2017

People use their cell phones in one of the few places with signal in San 
Juan, Puerto Rico. 83 per cent of cell sites were still out of service 
over two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit

Google's parent company is set to launch balloons into the Caribbean 
skies in an attempt to restore telephone networks in hurricane-ravaged 
Puerto Rico.

Alphabet Inc., which controls Google, obtained authorization from the US 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy the devices—developed 
from 2013 as part of a project known as "Loon."

It aims to temporarily re-establish Puerto Rico's cellular network—where 
83 per cent of cell sites were still out of service Friday, according to 
FCC figures.

"More than two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck, millions of Puerto 
Ricans are still without access to much-needed communications services," 
FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.

"That's why we need to take innovative approaches to help restore 
connectivity on the island," he added, urging wireless carriers to 
"cooperate with Project Loon to maximize this effort's chances of 
success."

Loon, part of a series of futuristic projects out of Alphabet's "X" 
laboratory, was originally created to provide internet coverage in 
under-developed rural areas.

A similar project using drones was closed down in 2016.

The balloons are sent 12 miles (20 kilometers) above the Earth's 
surface, where they can remain autonomously for over 100 days. They are 
made from a polyethylene canvas the size of a tennis court.

Initially designed to drift, the balloons are now equipped with 
navigation systems, powered by solar panels, which keep them in a 
specific area.

The announcement comes after electric carmaker Tesla said it could help 
restore electricity to Puerto Rico using solar panels and batteries.

Responding to a tweet asking if Tesla could help, chief executive Elon 
Musk answered: "The Tesla team has done this for many smaller islands 
around the world, but there is no scalability limit, so it can be done 
for Puerto Rico too."

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosello joined the conversation, tweeting 
to Musk: "Let's talk. Do you want to show the world the power and 
scalability of your #TeslaTechnologies? PR could be that flagship 
project."

Tesla and Musk have for years been seeking to push the auto industry to 
electric to reduce the use of fossil fuels, and more recently have 
introduced residential and commercial solar batteries which can operate 
off the electric power grid.

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Google Loon FCC Form:
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=initial&application_seq=80734



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Richard Lowenberg, Executive Director
1st-Mile Institute     505-603-5200
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504,
rl at 1st-mile.org     www.1st-mile.org
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