Project Loon is a R& D project of Google aimed at providing internet access to remote & rural areas, by sending a network of balloons travelling 20 km above the surface of earth in stratosphere.

•    In India Google offered partnership to BSNL.
•    India now becomes the fifth country after NZ, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to allow the pilot project after earlier doubts from DCII that balloon may interfere with mobile signals.
•    As per Google each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area about 40 km (Long Term Evolution) or 4G.
•     The system has the potential  to even replace the mobile tours as it transmits 4G

THE TECHNOLOGY
•    The balloons float in the stratosphere and as there are many layers of wind in stratosphere balloons can ascend or descend with these winds adding just like mobile towers.
•    By partnering with Telco’s to share cellular spectrum people have been enabled to connect to balloon network directly from their phones & other LTE enabled devices.
•    The signal is then passed across the balloon network and back down to the global internet on earth.
•    Project loon uses software algorithm to determine where its balloons needs to go & move it accordingly.
•    Thus, by software algorithms they can form a giant communication network.

Design of Loon

Loon balloon are solar powered and have a life span of around 2 years. In design there are three main components:

i)    Envelope: – It is the inflatable part of balloon each super pressure balloon is made of polyethene plastic and is inflated with helium. The envelope is designed to resistant exposure to UV rays is capable to function at temperature as low as – 80 degree C. Parachutes are attached to envelops to bring them down safely.
ii)    Solar Panels:- Each balloons solar panel  provides power to its own electronics. The solar panel made of flexible plastic laminate supported by light weight aluminium frame.It was high efficiency mono crystalline solar cells. The solar panels are mounted at a steep angle to capture sunlight.
iii)    Electronics:- A small electronics box hangs under inflated envelope. The box contains.

•    A circuit box to control the system.
•    Radio antenna for communication.
•    GPS for tracking location.
•    Censors to monitor & record  weather condition
•    Lithium ion batteries to store solar power.