5. Project Loon
Us urbanites take it for granted that internet access remains an unthinkable luxury for much of the world. Whether you're living in the African or Australian bush, or pretty much anywhere in the English countryside, it's not always easy to pick up those precious Wi-Fi waves. Project Loon aims to deliver internet to remote parts of the world (English countryside probably not included) using huge helium balloons that beam internet down to the earth. These balloons will float high in Earth's stratosphere, riding the world's wind currents like highways, and relaying 4G/LTE signals from cellular base stations among themselves, then back down to wireless devices and stations in remote areas. The goal is to negate the need to build expensive, cumbersome cable networks reach people in hard-to-reach areas. Loon is moving along at a brisk pace. Google is already in talks with network providers the world over, and Sri Lanka recently announced that it wants to be the first country to take advantage of the web-delivering 'loons. Only 3 million of Sri Lanka's 20 million citizens currently have internet access, so if Loon is successfully implemented there then it could have big societal implications for the country.
Robert Zak
Contributor
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
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Robert