Google’s Project Loon wants to cover the world with internet, even in places where internet access has not yet been established, thanks to the use of hot air balloons. However according to a report from The Guardian, Google is reportedly testing out a new method of internet delivery, and this is time it is through the use of drones.
The report claims that the project, codenamed SkyBender, will see drones deliver 5G internet to those within the vicinity. Google is said to be testing out the project at Spaceport America in New Mexico and have rented a 15,000 square feet hangar at the Gateway to Space terminal. The aim of the project is to test prototype transceivers and drones using millimeter wave radio transmissions.
According to Jacques Rudell, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, “The huge advantage of millimetre wave is access to new spectrum because the existing cellphone spectrum is overcrowded. It’s packed and there’s nowhere else to go.” However the downside to the technology is that it has a much shorter range than regular phone signals.
It is unclear as to what the end game from this project is, but off the top of our heads we can imagine Google using this to deliver internet access during emergencies, where drones will be able to fly in and out of areas to provide access to communications where necessary. The FCC has also reportedly given Google permission to conduct their tests until this July.