Project Loon is an initiative by Google to provide internet access to rural and remote areas using balloons travelling in the stratosphere. Balloons equipped with solar panels and wireless technology act as floating cell towers, connecting people in remote areas and relaying internet between each other. The balloons move with wind currents in the stratosphere to stay positioned over people who need connectivity. Google has tested Project Loon successfully in countries like New Zealand and plans to expand it to provide global internet access.

1. Google’s
Project Loon
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2. • ◊ Many of us think of the Internet as a global community. But two-
thirds of the world’s population does not yet have Internet access.
• ◊ Project Loon is a network of balloons travelling on the edge of
space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas.
• ◊ It is an initiative taken by Google to provide internet access all
over the world.
WHAT IS PROJECT LOON?

4. ◊ In 2011, the unofficial development of the
project began under Google X Labs.
History of Project Loon
◊ In 14 June 2013, Google announced this as
an official project.
◊ In 16 June 2013, A pilot experiment
happened in New Zealand and about 30
balloons were launched.

5. HOW LOON IS DESIGNED
The loon is comprised of three parts:
◊ Envelope
◊ Solar panels
◊ Payload / Electronics

6. ENVELOPE
◊ The inflatable part of the balloon is called a
balloon envelope. A well-made balloon
envelope is critical for allowing a balloon to last
around 100 days in the stratosphere. Loon’s
balloon envelopes are made from sheets of
polyethylene plastic, and they measure fifteen
meters wide by twelve meters tall when fully
inflated. In the unlikely event that a balloon
drops , a parachute attached to the top of the
envelope is deployed.

7. SOLAR PANELS
◊ Each unit’s electronics are powered by an
array of solar panels that sits between the
envelope and the payload.
◊ Solar panels are about the size of a card table
and generate enough electricity in four hours
to power the transmitter for a day and beam
down the Internet signal to ground stations.
◊ In full sun, these panels produce 100 watts of
power ;enough to keep the unit running while
also charging a battery for use at night.
◊ By moving with the wind and charging in the
sun , a loon balloon is able to power itself using
only renewable energy sources.

8. PAYLOAD
◊ The payload is a small box that holds
electronic devices, such as circuit boards, radio
antennas, batteries, GPS, flight sensors, and
devices to monitor weather conditions.
◊ The circuit board: controls the overall
balloon system.
◊ Radio antennas: communicate with other
balloons and with internet antennas on ground.
◊ Batteries: store solar power so the balloon
can operate in night.

9. ◊ Solar and battery technology:
Loon use 600 watt battery, charged by solar panels.
these large ,extra light photovoltaic cells keeps the
weight of the balloon less so that they can run for long
missions without landing.
◊ Algorithmic control:
Google X has developed Software that moves the balloon up
or down to catch wind current based on their direction to
more or less keep the balloon in one area.
The Technology

10. ◊ Wireless Mesh networking:
 Developing countries can’t afford to lay expensive fibre cable that
have to be installed underground to allow user to connect to
internet.
 Mesh networking sends internet packets from balloon to balloon
and sends data to and from homes below that have specially built
antenna on their roof.
◊ ISM Bands:
Are radio band reserved internationally for industrial, scientific and
medical purposes other than telecommunication.
 ISM bands share the 2.4 and 5.8 GHz bands for non ISM use because they
are typically unlicensed radio frequencies around the world.
The Technology

11. WORKING
◊ Where loon is situated?
◊ How loon moves?
◊ How loon connects?

12. WORKING
◊ Where is loon situated?
 Loon balloon float in the stratosphere at
20km altitude.
 Stratosphere is the second layer of
atmosphere(altitude range 10-50 km)
between troposphere and mesosphere.

13. WORKING
Advantage of stratosphere
 The winds here moves steadily and slowly between 5 and
20 mph.
 Commercial airliners fly between 9 and 12 km altitude,
thus it avoid airplane traffics.
 Most weather phenomena occurs in the troposphere.
thus they avoid any adverse weather.
 This sphere is great for solar panel, because there is no
cloud to block to sun.

14. WORKING
◊ How loon moves?
 Each layer of wind in stratosphere varies in direction.
 Software algorithms are used to determine where
the balloon need to go, then moves it into a layer of
wind blowing in the right direction.
 By moving with the wind ,the balloons can be
arranged to form one large communication network.

15. WORKING
◊ How loon connects?
Each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area
about 80 km in diameter using a wireless communications
technology called LTE. To use LTE, Project Loon partners
with telecommunications companies to share cellular
spectrum so that people will be able to access the
Internet everywhere directly from their phones and other
LTE-enabled devices. Balloons relay wireless traffic from
cell phones and other devices back to the global Internet
using high-speed links

16. CURRENT STATUS OF PROJECT
◊ Google has already tested this technology in New
Zealand, California and Brazil.
◊"Google approached the government to set up the
Loon project and Drone-based Internet transmission.
The government has approved the testing of Loon
project and a committee under the chairmanship of
the secretary of DEITY has been formed to work on
it," an official source told PTI. Google may initially
partner with BSNL for testing this technology by
using broadband spectrum in 2.6 GHz band.