17 February 2016 11:48 pm
He said three balloons had already sent to Sri Lanka by Google and the other two balloons were on the way.
A special team from Google would arrive in Sri Lanka to test on coverage tests, which is scheduled to begin in the coming months, Mr. Gavaskar said.
After the connection was tested Google would provide about 13 ‘Loon Balloons’ to cover the entire country, while delivering a high-speed internet service powered by helium-filled balloons, he said.
“The ‘Google Loon’ mission will provide internet access to rural and remote areas in the country. The project uses high-altitude balloons placed in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 40 km to create an aerial wireless network with up to 4G-LTE speeds,” he said.
The Islandwide internet coverage will be given after the discussion of two telecommunication companies in the country, he said.
Project of Loon Balloons to be stationed approximately 60,000 feet high above the Earth in the stratosphere and one balloon can last for at least more 182 days.
“After the estimated days of the Loon Balloon Google will send another balloon to replace it,” he said.
The ICTA will conduct the coordination of the Google Loon project in the country, while the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) would be working on the frequency tests, Mr. Gavaskar said. (Chaturanga Pradeep)