Alphabet , the parent company of Google technology, announced Thursday a partnership with three major telephone operators in Indonesia to take Internet to remote areas the country by “hundreds” of balloons.
Two thirds of the people of Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, with more than 255 million inhabitants spread in some 17,000 islands, have no access to the Internet.
The initiative is part of Loon Project Google X, research division working in Alphabet ambitious ideas such as self vehicle.
“Once in a while it is healthy but not be communicated if it is part of your daily life and you do not have access to basic information and can not communicate with people who are near you and is important to you and people around the world, that’s a big disadvantage, “said co-founder of Google Sergey Brin, in a meeting with reporters at the headquarters of Google X Mountain View (California).
Brin attended the meeting with representatives of the Indonesian carriers Indosat, Telkomsel and XL Axiata , as well as Vice President Project Loon, Mike Cassidy, who sat in front of one of the air balloon that created Google X.
Cassidy explained that the initiative, which has already been tested in Brazil, New Zealand and Australia, in the three cases to a single operator, he is ready to go one step further by overcoming technical challenges and can now concentrate on improving connectivity throughout the world.
“I We have deployed about 1,000 balloons in the world. We have flown nearly 20 million kilometers and some of our balloons have been around the world 20 times, “Cassidy said on Thursday tests conducted to date with balloons.
He recalled that there are still 4,000 million people in the world without Internet and stressed that a recent study by the United Nations ensures that a 10% increase in internet penetration would result in an annual increase 1.4% in gross domestic product (GDP) of a country.
He said, moreover, that the balloons act as communications towers but instead of being fixed on the floor flying about 20 kilometers high on the surface of the Earth in the stratosphere. Those, who move with the wind, balloons can be arranged so that they act as a communication network.
Brin insisted that Google X still considers the alliance with Indonesia as part of the trial period of Loon Project but said he was “thrilled” with the progress of the initiative.
“We have been conducting a number of growing, successive tests. evidence that the flights of the balloons functioned, connectivity testing It’s really exciting that this will serve communities that will make a difference, “said co-founder of Google.
Google X aims to bring the Internet in the coming years to more than 100 million people currently lacking access to web, through connections powerful enough to see vudeos, surfing the internet or shopping online.
The network Facebook is also working on an initiative to bring the Internet to areas that now there are connected but instead of balloons you plan to use drones.
Elon Musk, founder of the aerospace company SpaceX and co-founder of the firm of electric vehicles Tesla plans to launch groups Cheap low-flying satellites distance to improve connectivity and British entrepreneur Richard Branson wants to build the largest constellation of satellites to provide high-speed internet to billions who still do not have.
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