TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • DSP Leaders
  • Great Telco Debate
    • |
    • Follow
    • |
    • Subscribe
  • |
  • More
  • Webcasts
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Great Telco Debate
  • |
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • |
    • Subscribe
    • |
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Tracker

TelecomTV TRACKER

Sourced by TelecomTV's TRACKER platform
from ABI Research Media Releases

Tracker

Alphabet’s Project Loon Faces Strong Headwinds

Via ABI Research Media Releases

Nov 24, 2015

Scottsdale, Arizona - 23 Nov 2015

As a dominating force in society, the Internet brings a great deal of value to the people who can access it, which is why Alphabet (Google) recently teamed up with leading Indonesia Telecom Operators to announce a test project to determine the feasibility of Project Loon. In a recent analysis, ABI Research , a leader in technology intelligence, aims to address the potential benefits and challenges that the implementers of this innovative feat are bound to face.

Read ABI Research’s Alphabet’s Project Loon Facing Strong Headwinds.

By strategically releasing solar-powered helium balloons into the stratosphere to create an aerial wireless network, Project Loon’s test system will operate on commercial 900 MHz spectrum, allowing users to gain access to coverage through commercial LTE smartphones.

“The mission of Project Loon is to reach the next five billion people in our world who currently don’t have Internet access, providing coverage to emerging markets, rural and remote regions,” says Joe Hoffman, Vice President of Strategic Technology at ABI Research. “If Project Loon is economically successful, it may have a five to ten year project lifetime as the worldwide population continues to urbanize and 4G networks migrate outward.”

ABI Research predicts that Project Loon will face a number of challenges in the initial execution stages, each addressed in detail within the analysis:

  • Price Points : Alphabet will need to determine how to make this project economically feasible for low density, economically constricted areas. How can this project aim to deliver mobile broadband service at ordinary mobile cellular service prices or lower?
  • Power Wattage : Project Loon’s systems are currently set to generate 100 watts from solar power and will impose strict power limits on both the transmitter and the on-board electronics, making viability even more challenging.
  • Subscriber Density : The fundamental challenge lies in gaining enough subscribers per balloon for economic viability without overloading the system.
  • Operational Obstacles : Challenges include developing algorithms to appropriately map balloon positions, determining a good strategy to deal with inclement weather and addressing the concern of relying on the non-renewable resource, helium, among other challenges.

“In all, I think it’s a creative approach and an intriguing proposition to help serve emerging markets,” concludes Hoffman. “Reaching the unserved will be technically and economically challenging, but if there is one company that can break through those barriers and be successful, it is Alphabet.”

These findings are part of ABI Research's Network Market Tracker Service, which includes research reports, market data, insights and competitive assessments.

Related Topics
  • 4G LTE,
  • 5G,
  • ABI Research,
  • Access Evolution,
  • News,
  • North America,
  • Research and Trials,
  • Spectrum,
  • Tracker

More Like This

Access Evolution

ADVA announces record Q4 2020 results and reports full year 2020 figures

Feb 25, 2021

Access Evolution

Telefónica’s net income grows 38.5% in 2020 to reaches €1.582 billion

Feb 25, 2021

Open Networking

Liverpool City Region announces construction of a 212 km high speed full fiber network

Feb 25, 2021

AI, Analytics & Automation

Siemens, IBM, Red Hat Launch Hybrid Cloud Initiative to Increase Real-time Value of Industrial IoT Data

Feb 24, 2021

Digital Platforms & Services

Facebook strikes Australia news sharing agreement

Feb 24, 2021

This content extract was originally sourced from an external website (ABI Research Media Releases) and is the copyright of the external website owner. TelecomTV is not responsible for the content of external websites. Legal Notices

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

On-demand Workshop: How to build your cloud native 5G core platform

16:48

The case for mmWave in 5G networks

25:55

The Private Mobility Opportunity for Enterprises

12:04

VMware learnings from DISH 5G rollout

  • TelecomTV
  • Decisive Media

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media

Menu
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
 
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About Us
Our Brands
  • TelecomTV Tracker
  • TelecomTV Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • The Great Telco Debate
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070

Request a Media Pack

Follow
  • © Decisive Media Limited 2021. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Legal Notices