Google has taken an initiative to provide internet service to millions of Sri Lankan users.
Google started testing its balloon-powered high-speed internet facility in Sri Lanka before completing its planned joint project with the Sri Lankan government. One of three balloons used in the tests entered the airspace of the country on Monday after its introduction in the South American region, stated a government official, Muhunthan Canagey.
Project Loon aims to play a significant role to connect remote areas to the web and has been tested in Indonesia and Australia. Muhuthan said a team of the search giant would reach Sri Lanka soon to conduct efficiency test, flight controls, and other technicalities.
The government of Sri Lanka announced previously in February it would attain a 25% share in the joint project with the search engine developer to offer a helium-filled balloon-powered fast internet facility. Capital is not invested by Sri Lanka but stake would be attained by it in the venture for the allocation of spectrum.
Existing telephone service providers would be provided an opportunity to attain one tenth of the joint project, access higher speeds and enhance their existing service’s quality once the balloon venture is running up. It is promising to extend cheaper rates and coverage for data facilities.
After reaching the stratosphere, balloons will reach heights twice than that of commercial aircrafts and the naked eye will not be able to view them easily. Their lifespan will be around 180 days, but they can be recycled, according to the officials of Sri Lankan Government participating in the project.
Official figures show that there are fixed line internet users totaling at 630,000 and mobile internet connections totaling at 3.3 million among over 20 million Sri Lankan population. In 1989, Sri Lanka has turned into the first South Asian country to launch cellphones. In 2004, it becomes the first country to launch 3G network and first in South Asia to introduce a 4G network two years ago.
Google previously found it difficult to discover a balloon design that is durable and inexpensive at the same time to not only float but also navigate to travel through the stratosphere. There are round and shiny balloons that look like huge pillows, but finally, Google discovered a design capable of being manufactured cheaply and still navigate in a precise manner.
Head of X unit at Alphabet, Astro Teller, told that in 2015, balloon travelled across the globe 19 times in 187 days. The next measure will see how these work to provide real internet facility to users.
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