SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Alphabet's Project Loon deploys LTE balloons in Puerto Rico
Alphabet's Project Loon has officially deployed its LTE balloons to Puerto Rico, the team announced this afternoon. In a blog penned by Project Loon head Alastair Westgarth, the company says it's working with the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Aviation Authority, FEMA, and other cellular spectrum and aviation authorities to bring connectivity to parts of the island still suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Loon's official LTE partner for the initiative is AT&T, which is helping Loon use its fleet of stratospheric helium balloons to bring functions like text messaging and minor web browsing access to Puerto Rico residents who have LTE-equipped smartphones.
Also at TechCrunch.
(Score: 2) by fishybell on Sunday October 22 2017, @04:21PM (4 children)
FTFA:
So, where do they go afterwards? The ocean? Some guy's backyard?
Is the equipment reused with a new balloon? Is the balloon itself recycled or reused in any way?
This all seems like a very expensive way to litter to me.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 22 2017, @04:28PM (1 child)
We may never know. If only there was a way to look up answers to questions. Maybe some sort of network of computers or something.
(Score: 2) by rylyeh on Sunday October 22 2017, @07:23PM
Never happen 'cause: the 'Guvrnmunt'!
"a vast crenulate shell wherein rode the grey and awful form of primal Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss."
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Sunday October 22 2017, @11:19PM (1 child)
Where's the realDonaldTrump to tell us that Puerto Rico will all be fixed by then?
Seriously, though, this looks like it doesn't have anything to do with Google's core businesses, but they've put in the research and are putting in the resources to provide this assistance. To me, this unequivocally counts as doing good.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Monday October 23 2017, @05:51AM
Puerto Rico must pull its own weight. Puerto Rico and Dems are to blame for the mess in Puerto Rico. They've thrown our budget out of whack. I'll tell you, it's a little out of whack. They owe a lot of money to Wall Street. I don't know if it's Goldman Sachs, but whoever it is, the debt is massive on the island. We’re not going to own it. I’m not going to own it. I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it. It will fall of its own weight -- be careful! Of its own weight. We spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico, and that's fine, but enough is enough. I suspended the Jones Act for ten long days. At tremendous cost to our great shipping industry. Costing me many supporters in our amazing shipping industry. A bunch of crybabies will not, must not, bankrupt our great nation. The Puerto Ricans have money for expensive cell phones. For plans that are stratospheric. Literally stratospheric. They don't have money to pay their debts? Disgraceful! #MAGA 🇺🇸