In an age of constant connectivity and
technological advancement, there remain many people who are still unable to
access the Internet and all it has to offer. Not to worry though because
companies like Google, SpaceX, and Facebook have some very innovative designs
that hold great potential for providing reliable high speed Internet to the
world.
Google’s groundbreaking plan, which would be comical if they weren't successful, involves balloons. Google
wants to use balloons that float around 12 miles up in the stratosphere. Project
Loon is designed to have a communication network composed entirely of solar
powered balloons, all of which can communicate with each other and pass data
along from one balloon to another until the data reaches a balloon that is
within range of a desired ground receiver. By using LTE, Loons are able to
connect with mobile phones as well as base stations that have a special antenna.
Incredibly and despite some balloon experts expectations (who knew there are balloon
experts?), Google eventually was able to engineer balloons that can remain
afloat for at least 100 days! Google was able to accomplish this feat because, “Loon
engineers concluded that one of the biggest factors in failure were small,
almost undetectable leaks in the polymer skins that must withstand huge
atmospheric pressure and up to 100 mph winds. Even a pinhole can shorten a
balloon’s lifespan to a few days.”
I really like the above illustration. It is fascinating
to follow the flight path of Ibis 152, a balloon that flew for over 100 days. Isn’t
it incredible how a balloon can circle Antarctica several times? Another
balloon named Ibis 162 circled the globe three times and broke a world record by
completing one circumnavigation in 22 days.
SpaceX, on the other hand, promises to deliver
Internet to the world by launching a massive satellite network into low-Earth orbit
at approximately 750 miles up. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, is planning a network
that is very similar to that of Google’s Project Loon but instead of using
balloons to deliver Internet, Musk wants to launch hundreds or even thousands
of satellites into orbit. Musk certainly has an advantage in this game since he
has SpaceX at his disposal for all the satellite launches; however, satellites
are not as easily fixed or updated. Unlike Project Loon or Facebook’s Internet drones, satellites cannot be maintained as easily. Both Google’s
Loons and Facebook’s drones can land which allow hardware and software to be
more easily maintained and upgraded on regular occurrences. This is why Musk is
investigating using optical lasers for communication between satellites instead
of radio spectrum. Musk is claiming that a network built upon satellite communication
will be faster than a fiber optic caber because electromagnetic waves move
faster in the vacuum of space.
It is hard to decide which project I find more thrilling:
Facebook’s drones, Google’s Loons, or SpaceX’s satellites. All the companies
are competing in different and exciting ways to reel in the next Internet
market and thus become their Internet providers. Honestly, I’m not so fond of
Facebook Internet drones and the same goes for Amazon’s proposed drone delivery
service. Drone projects pose some pretty serious security and safety issues
that require a great deal of thought and work. Developing countries will not be
the only ones who will benefit if one of these technologies becomes a reality.
Projects like Loon can fill in the gaps in service in rural areas or even
cities where cell towers sometimes cannot reach or fail to connect due to
hills, skyscrapers, or other types of interference. So the next time you see a balloon in
the air, check your phone because you may be connected to Google’s Wi-Fi.
While Loon and Faceboook's drones do seem easier to service, they seem like a band-aid solution to the problem of haven an established internet infrastructure in third-world countries and rural areas. In Elon Musk's solution, we would have a strong, long-lasting infrastructure that requires little maintenance. Satellites orbit the Earth in the vacuum of space, free from any atmospheric turbulence, and their lifespan are much greater than that of a weather baloon or equivalent (Loon). In my opinion, I would have to say that SpaceX's solution is the better one here.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for all of these projects because they prove that we are trying to provide these utilities to Third World Countries, in places that would be next to impossible to provide your typical broadband or even cellular service. I agree that the SpaceX solution seems the most concrete and long-lasting, but all of these are, at a minimum, a fantastic effort.
ReplyDelete