Google "Project Loon" balloon Sri Lanka for Internet testing
One of three balls to be used in testing imported Sri Lankan airspace Monday to information and head of the Office of Communication Technology Muhunthan Canagey said.
"The first ball is our airspace closed this morning. It was launched from South America." Canagey told AFP. "He is currently in the south of Sri Lanka."
He said a Google team later this week is expected to the flight controls, test the spectral efficiency and other technical problems.
The government announced earlier this month it would take a 25 percent in a joint venture with Google to high speed Internet service powered by offering helium-filled balloons.
Sri Lanka is investing capital, but take the game in exchange for spectrum allocation for the project. Another 10 percent of the joint venture will be offered to existing telephone service providers on the island.
He promises to expand coverage and cheaper rates for data services.
Service providers will be able to achieve higher speeds and to improve the quality of their existing balloon once the project is performed.
Balloons, once in the stratosphere will be two times higher than commercial aircraft and barely visible to the naked eye. The balloons will have a lifespan of about 180 days, but can be recycled, according to Sri Lankan officials involved in the business.
Official figures show that there are 3.3 million mobile Internet connections and 630,000 Internet subscribers to fixed line of more than 20 million people of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka to introduce the first country in South Asia to mobile phones in 1989, and the first to deploy a 3G network in 2004. It was also the first in the region to unveil a 4G network two years ago.
