The Loon project, which develops ways to distribute the Internet from balloons, is on the rise. Now it is not just one of Google's projects, but an independent company.
Google has been developing balloon routers for years. The Loon project started back in 2013, but for quite a long time it remained an interesting experiment rather than a serious commercial development. And now, it seems, the moment has come to change the status. Loon became a full-fledged company within the Alphabet concern.
The company will distribute the Internet using high-altitude balloons drifting at an altitude of about 18 km. They will be maneuvering with the help of equipment that calculates the direction and strength of the wind at different altitudes, and a shunting cylinder with helium. Balloons are very cheap and easy to manufacture - their shell is made of plastic, and all equipment is powered by solar panels.
Loon will distribute Internet balloons through an upgraded Wi-Fi router. One of the balloons will receive the signal from the ground station and transmit it along the chain. The network will be available to ordinary users at a distance of up to 40 km from the balloon.