Google prepares to launch broadband balloons - a loony idea?

Google is scaling up Project Loon, its year-old initiative to bring Internet access to everyone on the planet. The technology company describes the project as “a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.”

A recent YouTube video titled “Project Loon: Scaling Up” details the challenges of the initiative, from a “mission control” tracking system to miniscule leaks in the balloons. Project Lead Mike Cassidy explains that a “complex choreography” meant to keep the balloons floating over target locations is required “to make balloon-powered Internet for all a reality."

Project Loon: Scaling Up (YouTube, April 20, 2015)