Proposed Google Loon project at risk

Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure
 Mr. Harin Fernando

“Google is ready, but unfortunately in Sri Lanka things do not move the way that we wanted,” - Harin Fernando

Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure in Sri Lanka, Mr. Harin Fernando said a media briefing that Google was looking towards launching the Google Loon Project in another country as a result of the delay on the part of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and as a result of negative publicity given by those who does not want the project to go through.

“Unfortunately Sri Lanka might lose an excellent opportunity and I have already informed about this situation to both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe,” the Minister said. “Google might go for another country as they might think Sri Lankan people are not ready for such a project, 

On the 28th of July, 2015, an MOU was signed between ICTA, Google Loon and two of its affiliates Lotus Flare Holdings limited and Rama Co. for the purpose of formalizing working relationships and facilitating pilot project implementation.

Google Loon Project

Pervasive as the Internet seems, less than half of the world’s population has access to it, leaving some four billion people unconnected. This spring, engineers at Google’s Project Loon will shift to the next phase in a grand plan to bring Internet to everyone. The goal: a network of high-altitude balloons (Loon is a play off the word) that will rain 4G LTE signals down to anyone with a 4G device. With it, farmers in remote areas will be able to access weather data; rural children will be able to pursue online educations; and Google will have four billion more eyeballs on its search engine. By year’s end, Loon aims to have 100 balloons in the stratosphere, about 12.5 miles overhead.