Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Google’s Wi-Fi balloons to travel around the world 3 times
Google’s Wi-Fi balloons
WASHINGTON: Google’s Wi-Fi balloons, part of the search’s giant initiative to provide connectivity to remote locations where there is low or no internet, is designed to travel three times around the world.
Google’s Project Loon aims to deliver Wi-Fi to remote parts of the world via souped-up weather balloons, which are designed to stay up for 100 days.
The search giant’s balloon manufacturing manager, Pam Desrochers said that the time limit is much longer than most weather balloons that travel at the stratospheric heights that Loon balloons will achieve, Cnet reports.
Descrochers explained that the balloon material is rubber-band like, with each balloon requiring 500 square meters of the material.
She further said that the Loon’s balloons must be exceptionally hardy, because they will be subject to both hot and cold extremes on a daily basis, causing the material to stretch and contract.
The manager added that the balloons need to be resistant to ultraviolet radiation and inclement weather, as they could lead to pinhole leaks and more serious destructive forces, the report said.
