Alphabet rolling out Internet balloons with Telkom Kenya

Alphabet subsidiary Loon said it plans to deploy balloons to offer 4G network coverage to Kenya from next year, Reuters reported.

According to the report, this is Alphabet’s first commercial deal for Loon in Africa. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, the report stated.

Founded in 2013 as Project Loon, Google developed the technology at its “X” innovation labs. Loon and Google both fall under Alphabet now.

The balloons float 60,000 feet above sea level and beam a 4G signal down, powered by an on-board solar panel, to provide broadband coverage to lower-population-density areas.

They were also used by carriers in the United States to provide connectivity to people in Puerto Rico after a hurricane in 2017.

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