back to article Loons in balloons: Google asks FCC to approve Net plan

Large balloons firing data are nothing to worry about, Google has told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in its latest license application. The people behind Project Loon, Google’s floating internet platform announced in June 2013, have successfully tested the system across the world and now want the silver machines …

  1. thomas k
    Thumb Up

    Marks for creativity

    "Although we respect that the commenters’ concerns are genuinely held," the filing notes, "there is no factual basis for them."

    What a super polite way of calling someone an idiot.

  2. Ian Johnston Silver badge

    Blow, blow thou winter wind

    How are these things suppose to deal with wind? Do they launch a succession of them and let them drift?

    1. ratfox

      Re: Blow, blow thou winter wind

      Exactly. It's a swarm network!

    2. brainbone

      Re: Blow, blow thou winter wind

      Google has answered that in detail:

      https://www.google.com/loon/how/

      Basically, they use data about atmospheric conditions that they collect themselves from their balloon swarm, combined with other sources like NOAA. That data is used when adjusting altitudes to catch different wind-streams, allowing them reasonable accuracy when moving the balloons where they'd like. With enough balloons, they can keep an area well covered.

  3. NotBob

    In my area

    This would probably be viewed as aerial target practice by some inebriated locals.

    1. John H Woods Silver badge

      Re: In my area

      "This would probably be viewed as aerial target practice by some inebriated locals." -- NotBob

      ... I think even with the steadiest hand going you'd be unlikely to hit one with anything other than a SAM

      1. Pompous Git Silver badge

        Re: In my area

        I think even with the steadiest hand going you'd be unlikely to hit one with anything other than a SAM

        They start off at ground level, or didn't you realise that?

        1. John H Woods Silver badge

          Re: In my area

          "They start off at ground level, or didn't you realise that?" --- Pompous Git

          If they climb like normal weather balloons, at about 5m/s, they'll be out of range of all but the sniper sights of sober sharpshooters within a few minutes. As we are talking about a 100 day lifespan, they'll be spending (coming down as well as up) well under 0.0001% of their lifespan within projectile range. Even less if they are launched at night, without notice, from an area with a reasonable perimeter.

          So, yes, I did realise they start off at ground level but they are hardly more vulnerable to drunken shooters than if they were launched out of planes or magically spawned in mid-air.

          1. Pompous Git Silver badge

            Re: In my area

            If they climb like normal weather balloons, at about 5m/s, they'll be out of range of all but the sniper sights of sober sharpshooters within a few minutes.

            I stand corrected :-)

      2. Fungus Bob

        Re: In my area

        "I think even with the steadiest hand going you'd be unlikely to hit one with anything other than a SAM"

        Not a problem, in most states you can buy SAMs at Sam's Club as long as you are at least 21 years old.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: In my area

      It's a strange argument that something should not be attempted because of vandals and criminals. Let's get rid of street lights, glass windows and overhead power cables, anything rather than remove guns from rednecks or remove criminals from society.

  4. inmypjs Silver badge

    "probably be viewed as aerial target practice"

    At 20km they will need a clear day and binoculars to be viewed at all.

  5. Trigonoceps occipitalis

    Rename LOHAN ...

    to LOONHAN and sneak the launch through on the back of Google's certificate - problem solved.

  6. Pompous Git Silver badge
    Angel

    Ground-based loons

    Since then the FCC has been receiving complaints about the plan, largely it seems from people worried about radio frequency (RF) exposure.

    Oh noes! The sky's falling in; the sky's falling in! And it really, really is this time!

    Presumably they don't actually use a mobile phone, possess a TV or a PC. A CD player? God forbid! A wind-up gramophone with gorse needle in the pickup's bad enough. Gorse is going to become a threatened species real soon now because of climate change and sin! Sin I tell you!

  7. Pompous Git Silver badge

    Worldwide, there are over 800 upper-air observation stations and through international agreements data are exchanged between countries. Most upper air stations are located in the Northern Hemisphere and all observations are usually taken at the same time each day (up to an hour before 00:00 and/or 12:00 UTC), 365 days a year. When severe weather is expected additional soundings may be taken at a select number of stations. NWS [US National Weather Service] takes observations at 92 stations; 69 in the conterminous United States, 13 in Alaska, 9 in the Pacific, and 1 in Puerto Rico. NWS also supports the operation of 10 other stations in the Caribbean.

    That's about 70,000 a year in the USA. And nobody noticed the danger until Google decided to deploy a few. FFS!

    http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/factsheet.htm

    1. Queasy Rider

      Pompous Git

      Yes you are for your use of the three dollar word 'conterminous' in place of the correct and accepted word 'contiguous'. As adjectives the difference between conterminous and contiguous is that conterminous is meeting end-to-end or at the ends while contiguous is connected; touching; abutting. So spit out that thesaurus before you gag on it. By the way, I do respect many of your other opinions expressed in many other threads, and your point here is well taken.

      1. Pompous Git Silver badge
        FAIL

        Re: Pompous Git

        your use of the three dollar word 'conterminous' in place of the correct and accepted word 'contiguous'.

        Doncha love it when someone says: "I do respect many of your other opinions"? Why do you take me to task for what someone else wrote? Or do you really believe that NOAA employees consist of retirees living in southern Tasmania? Here's the final line of my post so you can follow this up with them what wrote it!

        http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/factsheet.htm

        PS While I could have corrected the grammar in that "factsheet", I'm only a grammar nazi with publications I work on.

        1. Queasy Rider

          Re: Pompous Git

          My apologies. I didn't follow the link. I am suitably chastened.

          1. Pompous Git Silver badge

            Re: Pompous Git

            No problem Queasy Rider; I wasn't in the least bit offended. More amused really :-)

          2. Pompous Git Silver badge

            Re: Pompous Git @ Queasy Rider

            I forgot to add there was a clue that the writing you referenced wasn't the Git's. I (almost) always place quoted text between blockquote tags so it's obvious I'm quoting. Admittedly the Reg stylesheet only indents the blockquote, rather than also changing the typeface and/or background colour so it's not as obvious as it could be.

  8. phil dude
    Thumb Up

    Good.

    I have Project Fi on my Nexus 6P. I cannot wait for Google to bypass the wholly corrupt "wires n stuff" monopoly, and give ATT and Comcast a profits downgrade nightmare.

    P.

  9. JeffyPoooh
    Pint

    Idea...

    Forget the microwaves. Just string fiber optic strands up and down. They'd help keep the balloons tethered in place.

    Airplanes? Ban 'em.

  10. The Vociferous Time Waster

    Capitalism

    Watch the capitalists try to stop capitalist competition from happening. They're too busy blaming Obama for being a Muslim Communist to notice they are getting shafted.

  11. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

    Americans pay what now?

    Americans pay through the nose for mobile access

    Do we? I pay around $40 a month for unlimited calls and SMS and 5 GB of data (which is far, far more than I ever use) on a major national network. That's about 60% of the bill for my landline, which only offers free calls in my local area. Or about 60% of the cost of sending one 10-word telegram a day in 1920, adjusted for inflation.

    Seems like a pretty good deal to me.

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