Google’s ambitious plan to fill the skies with internet is suddenly looking way more feasible as a reality: the search giant now has a commercial cellular partner working on the project in Australia.
The Guardian reports that Google is teaming up with Australia’s Telstra carrier to launch Loon’s biggest test flights yet. The new trials will see 20 balloons fly over western Queensland during December, beaming 4G-like signal down to Earth, 20km below. In the new collaboration, Telstra will offer up base stations to communicate with the balloons.
We might be some way off having a globe entirely circled by Wi-Fi balloons, but clearly the plan isn’t quite as crazy as many may have suspected given the new-found commercial involvement. [Guardian]
