Google is set to implement Project Loon in India

Image credit: Global Panorama

Google wanted to launch its drone across India to beam the internet to every corner of the country, bringing down the costs and expanding the reach of the World Wide Web. The government agency Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) disapproved of it, however, and the country will instead soon come under the Project Loon.

The country has big floating balloons at a height of 20 kilometers above Earth’s surface, transmitting internet services to the remotest corners of the country. Google has been given approval to test the Loon balloons for feasibility.

About Project Loon

Project Loon is still under development by Google X and its mission is to provide internet access to the rural and remote areas. High-altitude balloons are placed in the stratosphere to create an aerial wireless network that can provide 3G and 4G speed.

New Zealand was the first country where the Loon balloon was implemented successfully, and the technology has been adopted in Brazil and California so far. Project Loon is under way in Sri Lanka right now.

The technology and why it matters

Why it matters will hardly be a question when one considers how much our lives are intertwined with the internet. Business, education, or personal, the internet is governing our interactions with the world.

The balloons run on a solar panel attached to them, which keeps them active up in the sky at a negligible cost. Along with a lifespan of 100 days at least, it ensures connectivity in a radius of 80kms using LTE.

Project Loon in India

For the project in India, Google will tie up with local internet service providers for the spectrum, acting only as the agent for transmitting the internet. This means that telecommunication companies can spread their services to all corners of the country. The far-reaching implications can be felt on the country’s push for Internet.org in collaboration with Facebook.

Affordable high-speed internet will translate into better techniques in agriculture for farmers, and the cottage industry can bloom as local merchandise can be sold on a global platform.

Newer opportunities for eCommerce and mCommerce will emerge with more customers. It will also be an opportunity for eLearning businesses as students who want to learn without leaving the comforts of their home could educate themselves.

Internet will exist where there is no electricity

70 percent of the country reside in India’s rural pockets where electricity is still only an occasional spark. One may hope that with the internet, there will be more knowledge of how to harness natural resources and that the spirit of commerce may urge progress, as is often the case.

Widespread internet brings fresh opportunities

If Project Loon succeeds, there will be greater access to the internet, which is mostly impervious to natural and man-made disasters. The reduced vulnerability and unflinching access to markets imply new opportunities for a host of services that can be accessed online.

One interesting idea that has been discussed is that of telemedicine whereby advanced medical services can be offered online. It will also help streamline the efforts of the social services sector to ensure better funds management and enable them to reach out to the recipients.

Google Loon holds immense promise and if it succeeds in India and Sri Lanka, we can expect it to quickly expand to other Asian and African countries, giving access to newer markets and fresh opportunities.