Miami (CBS Miami / AP)
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis has called on President Biden’s administration this week to announce plans to send high-speed balloons to the Internet as the government blocks access.
Can I deliver the Internet by balloon?
Yes I can. Google’s parent company, Fidel Lone, has been working for years to complete an Internet balloon distribution service. He closed the project in January, saying it would not be commercially viable.
Prior to its closure, Lon Balon worked with the local telecommunications company Telecom Kenya in the Kenyan highlands. Hurricane Maria, which destroyed the island’s mobile network, also provided wireless services in Puerto Rico. Lon has partnered with AT&T to make the service available.
How does it work?
The balloon was an effective tennis court with a large cell tower. They floated 60,000-75,000 feet or 11 to 14 miles (18,000-23,000 meters or 18 to 22 miles), far from commercial airlines. The balloon is made of natural plastic poly polyethylene, used for electric power panels, and in collaboration with the local telecommunications company to serve smartphones.
According to the company, each balloon can serve thousands of people. However, it had to be replaced every five months due to the difficult conditions of the stator. And it can be difficult to control the bladder. “It was always difficult to navigate balloons in the stratosphere,” said Rvon’s chief technology officer Salvatore Candido in a December 2020 blog post. The company developed an algorithm to track wind patterns.
What kind of equipment did you need?
Mr Rune said a network connection with telecommunications would be needed to provide services and equipment on the ground in addition to its own balloon. He also asked permission from local supervisors. This is not expected to be approved by the Cuban government.
Can you build a remote network?
Yes I can. Loon used several balloons to extend the connection beyond the required ground connection. In one test in 2018, Lone said the connection jumped 1,000 kilometers, or more than seven balloons, about 620 miles. It also has more than 600 miles[600 km]of wireless connections between the two balloons. Cuba and Florida are only about 100 miles (160 km) from each other.
Is it possible?
However, experts are not sure if it will be easy for Cuba to set up an Internet service in this way. Sending communications to Cuba requires an unused speaker or radio wave, and the exploitation is largely controlled by the national government. Mobile and Wireless Consulting Mobilization Consulting says that anyone attempting to do so should have a free-range blockchain.
TMF affiliates TimFara Balloon, a satellite communications consultant, says drone-powered networks will not be economical in the long run. It is ideal for connecting in times of disaster or war zones, but the transmission capacity of such networks is not good. “It is not enough to serve the entire Cuban people,” Farah said.
Another challenge: the Cuban government may try to block the sign.
Who is involved in the Cuban initiative?
De Santis on Thursday shared balloons with two Cuban-American MPs Maria Salazar and Carlos Gomez, FCC Commissioner Brenda Carr and Cuban-American lawyer, businessman and museum director Marcel Felipe. He did.
Philippe said he had been in talks with a defense industry contractor for two years to make such balloons costly in the airspace near Cuba, but did not name the company. According to Felipe, the idea is to send an internet connection to the island’s mobile phone without the involvement of a landlord. Felipe did not provide evidence in an interview with the Associated Press, but argued that the Cuban government could not “severely” block the use of balloons.
No supporter paid a price. “If the federal government approves the plan, it will be fully funded by donations from members of the Cuban diaspora,” Salazar said.
What is Cuban Internet service?
Until recently, Internet service in Cuba was relatively inexpensive. Since December 2018, Cubans have been able to access the Internet by telephone through the state’s telecommunications monopoly. Today, more than half of all Cubans have access to the Internet.
However, according to Human Rights Watch, the Cuban government has restricted free media and censored online Cubans. Blocks internet service in an attempt to quell protests.