Look, up in the sky! Is that a Google Wi-Fi balloon?
Google's latest unconventional project,
balloon-borne Wi-Fi service, is being
tested in the skies above California's
Central Valley.
The Web giant said on Google+ that it has
been conducting research flights over
parts of its home state to fine tune what it
called Project Loon.
That project is an effort by Google to
bring Internet access to parts of the world
where the necessary infrastructure, such
as cell towers, is lacking. Project Loon
comes from the Google X lab, which is
also responsible for self-driving cars and
Google Glass eyewear.
PHOTOS: Google Street View from 22,000
feet
Most recently, Google said Thursday,
Project Loon flew over Fresno to test how
well the Wi-Fi balloons relayed signals in
busy city areas. The project, which was
introduced in June, encountered problems
during the research flight.
"It turns out that providing Internet
access to a busy city is hard because there
are already many other radio signals
around, and the balloons’ antennas pick
up a lot of...
