Loon’s Balloon-Powered Internet Might Not Be a Loony Idea After All

After its launch in Kenya, Loon appears to be the leading solution to bring internet connectivty to underserved regions around the world

Loon balloon launching (left) and ascending to the stratosphere (right). Source: Alphabet X

You are probably reading this article on your smartphone connected to the nearest cell tower or your laptop connected to a WiFi router. Some people in Kenya, meanwhile, are doing the same, but through balloons floating 65,000 feet above Earth.

Loon balloons fly at 65,000 feet, twice the height of commercial aircrafts. Source: Loon

These balloons, operated by Loon, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, are hoping to solve a problem that many are unaware of. As ubiquitous as the internet seems, nearly half the world’s population still does not have access to it. In other words, one of every two people across the globe is not part of the digital revolution that is shaping the 21st century.

But there’s a lot of disparity in these numbers. Among developed nations, like the US and EU, internet penetration is well over 80 percent. But in many African nations, however, this figure drops to lower than 30 percent.