Google’s mobile masts 60,000ft above Earth

EVEN it’s name – Project Loon – suggests there is something zany about Google’s plan for floating mobile phone masts on the edge of space.

But the scheme, in which internet signals will be transmitted from balloons more than 60,000 feet above Earth, is no joke.

Google’s parent company Alphabet is preparing to launch the solar-powered balloons in Indonesia, in the hope of helping remote areas get online.

About 250million people live in Indonesia – which is made up of more than 17,000 islands – but only around 42million residents have internet access.

Google aims to have a ‘ring’ of around 300 floating mobile hotspots circumnavigating the Earth by next year.

By the end of 2016, the firm says even the most remote areas of the world could have web access through Project Loon.

The inflatable part of the balloon is made from sheets of polyethylene plastic, that are 49ft wide and 40ft tall when full.

They harness power from solar panels that dangle below them, and can gather enough charge in four hours to run for a day.

Ground stations around 60 miles apart bounce signals up to the balloons. These signals can then hop forward, from one balloon to the next, along a line of up to five.

Google claims each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area of around 25 miles in diameter using 4G technology.

Mike Cassidy, Project Loon’s vice president, told the BBC: ‘We hope next year to build our first continuous ring around the world, and to have some sort of continuous coverage for certain regions.’

Two years ago, Google launched its first 30 balloons into the stratosphere from New Zealand. They floated at altitudes of up to 15.5 miles and travelled as fast as 200mph.

In May last year, more balloons were launched from Brazil.

Mr Cassidy described the transmitters as ‘floating cell phone towers in the sky’.

It is hoped the project could help developing countries access the internet by sparing them the high cost of laying fibre cables.

Facebook is currently working on a similar initiative called Internet.org. The social media firm plans to launch a satellite in the second half of 2016 which will provide internet access to remote parts of Africa.