In 2014, a rural school on the outskirts of Campo Mayor in Brazil was connected to the internet. Ordinary event, if not for one "but". The connection was made through a stratospheric balloon. This event was the first success of an ambitious project , a subsidiary of Alphabet. And after 5 years, the governments of countries affected by the strongest hurricane and earthquake turn to Loon with an official request for help in providing Internet communications. Cloud4Y explains how Google's "cloud connectivity" became a reality.
Project Loon is interesting in that it proposes to solve the problem of Internet communications in regions, for some reason cut off from civilization and the global economic system. This is not necessarily the result of a natural disaster. The problem may lie in the geographical remoteness or inconvenient location of the region. Be that as it may, if a person has a smartphone, he will be able to connect to the network thanks to balloons designed by Loon.
The quality of communication is also on the level. In February 2016, Google announced that it had achieved stable laser communication between two balloons at a distance of 62 miles (100 km). The connection was stable for many hours, day and night, and a data transfer rate of 155 Mbps was recorded.
How it works
The idea may seem simple. Loon took the most important components of a cell tower and redesigned them so that they could be transported in a balloon at an altitude of 20 km. This is significantly higher than airplanes, wild animals and weather events. And that means safer. Loon balloons can withstand harsh conditions in the stratosphere, where wind speeds can reach 100 km/h and temperatures drop to -90°C.
Each ball has a special capsule - a module that controls the Loon system. All equipment on the ball runs on renewable energy sources. Solar panels power the system during the day and charge the built-in battery for nighttime operation. Loon balloon antennas provide connection to ground stations through an extensive mesh network, allowing mobile device owners to be online without the need for any additional equipment. In the event of an accident and the destruction of the balloon, the hardware module weighing 15 kg descends on an emergency parachute.
The flight altitude of the balloon can be changed due to the use of an auxiliary cylinder filled with helium from the main cylinder for climbing. And for descent from the auxiliary cylinder, helium is pumped back into the main one. The maneuvering is so efficient that in 2015, Loon was able to fly 10 kilometers, arriving at the desired point with an accuracy of 000 meters.
Each tennis court-sized balloon is made of ultra-durable flexible plastic and is designed for 150 days of flight. Such durability is the result of extensive testing of materials for the balloon (balloon shell). This material should prevent leakage of helium and damage to the cylinder at low temperatures. In the stratosphere, where the balls are launched, ordinary plastic becomes brittle and easily deteriorates. Even a tiny 2mm hole can shorten the life of a ball by weeks. And the search for a 2-mm hole on a ball with an area of 600 sq.m. - that's another pleasure.
While testing the materials, it dawned on one of the project leaders that condom manufacturers were experiencing similar problems. In this industry, unplanned openings are also undesirable. Drawing on their experience, the Loon team performed several specific tests that allowed them to create new materials and change the structure of the balloons, which resulted in an increase in the service life of the balloon. This summer, we managed to achieve a “mileage” of 223 days!
The Loon team emphasizes that they have created not just another balloon, but a “smart” device. Launched from a special launch pad, Loon balloons can fly to any country in the world. Machine algorithms predict wind patterns and decide whether to move the balloon up or down into the wind layer that is blowing in the right direction. The navigation system functions autonomously, and human operators control the movement of the ball and, if necessary, can intervene.
Loon allows mobile operators to expand coverage where needed. A group of Loon balloons creates a network that communicates with people in a particular area in the same way that a group of towers on the ground form a ground network. The only difference is that the air "towers" are constantly in motion. The balloon-created network is able to function autonomously, efficiently routing connections between balloons and ground stations, taking into account balloon movement, obstacles, and weather.
Where Loon balls have already been used
“In theory, everything is beautiful, but what about in practice?”, You ask. There is also practice. In 2017, along with the FCC, FAA, FEMA, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others, provided basic connectivity for 200 people in Puerto Rico following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. The balloons were launched in the state of Nevada, and quickly reached Puerto Rico. Thanks to this, it was possible to test some solutions, identify errors, and at the same time demonstrate the viability of the idea.
A little later, a natural disaster in Peru caused massive damage to the infrastructure. As soon as the flood hit northern Peru, the Loon team sent their balloons to the affected area. Within three months, users sent and received 160 GB of data, which is equivalent to about 30 million SMS or two million emails. The coverage area was 40 thousand sq. km.
At the end of May 2019, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 8,0 hit Peru again. In some regions, the Internet was completely turned off, while thousands of people needed to know about the condition of their loved ones. To establish communication, the government of the country and the local telecom operator Tefónica turned to Loon for help to distribute the Internet using their balloons. The internet was fixed within 48 hours.
The first aftershocks occurred on Sunday morning, and upon receiving a request for help, the Loon company immediately diverted its balloons from Puerto Rico to Peru. To move them, as usual, the force of the wind was used. Balloons caught wind currents in the direction in which they needed to move. It took the devices two days to cover more than 3000 kilometers.
Loon balloons have spread throughout northern Peru, each providing 4G internet to areas of 5000 square kilometers. Only one balloon was connected to the ground station, which communicated and transmitted signals to other devices. Previously, the company only demonstrated the ability to transmit signals between seven balloons, but this time the number has reached ten.
Location of Loon balloons in Peru
The company was able to provide the people of Peru with a basic set of communications: SMS, email and Internet access at a minimum speed. In the first two days, about 20 people used the Internet from Loon balloons.
As a result, on November 20, 2019, Loon signed a commercial agreement to provide services to parts of the Amazon rainforest in Peru, agreeing with (IpT), a mobile phone operator in rural areas. This time around, Loon balloons will be used as a permanent internet connection solution instead of a temporary fix after a natural disaster. WITH
The agreement between IpT and Loon still needs to be approved by Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications. If all goes well, Loon and IpT hope to provide mobile internet services starting in 2020. The initiative will focus on Peru's Loreto region, which makes up nearly one-third of the country and is home to many of its indigenous peoples. Loon will initially cover 15 percent of Loreto, potentially reaching nearly 200 inhabitants. But the company has already announced its intention to connect 000 million people in rural Peru by 6.
Successful use of hot air balloons in Peru over an extended period of time could open doors to other countries. In the meantime, the company has signed a preliminary contract in Kenya with Telkom Kenya and is now awaiting final regulatory approval to begin its first commercial trial in that country.
Little nuanceIt should be noted that not everything is so rosy with technology. Here is a list of Loon ball incidents:
- On May 29, 2014, a Loon balloon crashed into power lines in Washington DC, USA.
- On June 20, 2014, New Zealand officials called emergency services after seeing a balloon crash.
- In November 2014, a South African farmer discovered a crashed hot air balloon in the Karoo desert between Stridenburg and Britstown.
- On April 23, 2015, a hot air balloon crashed into a field near Bragg, Missouri.
- On September 12, 2015, a hot air balloon crashed on the front lawn of a house in Rancho Hills, California.
- On February 17, 2016, a hot air balloon crashed while testing in the tea region of Gampola, Sri Lanka.
- On April 7, 2016, a hot air balloon landed unscheduled at a farm in Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
- On April 22, 2016, a hot air balloon crashed into a field in the department of Ciembuco, Paraguay.
- On August 22, 2016, the balloon landed on a ranch in Formosa, Argentina, about 40 km away. west of the capital.
- On August 26, 2016, the balloon landed northwest of Madison, South Dakota.
- On January 9, 2017, the balloon crashed in Seyik, near Changuinola, Bocas del Toro Province, Panama.
- On January 8, 2017 and January 10, 2017, two Loon balloons landed 10 km east of Cerro Chato and 40 km northwest of Mariscala, Uruguay.
- On February 17, 2017, a Loon balloon crashed in Buriti dos Montes, Brazil.
- On March 14, 2017, a Loon balloon crashed in San Luis, Tolima, Colombia.
- On March 19, 2017, the balloon crashed in Tacuarembo, Uruguay.
- On August 9, 2017, a hot air balloon crashed into a reed thicket in Olmos, Lambaek, Peru.
- On December 30, 2017, the balloon crashed in Ntambiro, Igembe Central, Meru District, Kenya.
So there are definitely risks. However, the benefits of Loon balloons are still greater.
UPD: you can see the location of the balloons (search in South America). Thank you for clarification
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Source: habr.com