Project Loon uses balloons to provide LTE Internet access; Indonesian trials set for 2016
Google Project Loon, in partnership with service providers Indosat, Telkomsel and XL Axiata, plans to begin testing delivery of LTE Internet access via balloons floating over Indonesia in 2016.
Project Loon VP Mike Cassidy in a corporate blog post said that only one in three Indonesians are connected to the Internet.
“And even though most of their connections are painfully slow, they’re doing some pretty incredible things. Startups like motorcycle delivery service Go-Jek are building impressive adaptations to Indonesia’s unique challenges, while small businesses like fashionable hijab shop Hijup are using the Web to redefine marketplaces,” said Cassidy. “Still, a majority of Indonesians don’t have access to the educational, cultural and economic opportunities of the Internet. That’s why we’re pleased to announce that Indonesia’s top three mobile network operators – Indosat, Telkomsel and XL Axiata – have agreed to begin testing Project Loon balloon-powered Internet over Indonesia in 2016. These tests represent an important step toward bringing all of Indonesia online.”
Cassidy wrote that the ultimate goal is to provide LTE Internet to 100 million unconnected people in Indonesia.
“Soon we hope many more millions of people in Indonesia will be able to use the full Internet to bring their culture and businesses online and explore the world even without leaving home,” Cassidy said.
