Project Loon 是 Alphabet (Google 的母公司) 透過熱氣球建立網路的計畫。
這次波多黎各災後已經好幾個禮拜了,但還是有大量的基地台還是不通。於是 Project Loon 從 FCC 得到實驗性的執照,建立行動網路:「Alphabet’s Internet balloons will try to restore cell service in Puerto Rico」。
Nearly 82 percent of cell sites in Puerto Rico and 57 percent in the US Virgin Islands are out of service, the FCC said in its daily damage report yesterday. In nearly all counties in Puerto Rico, more than 75 percent of cell sites are not working, and "22 out of the 78 counties in Puerto Rico have 100 percent of their cell sites out of service." Large percentages of residents are also without cable or wireline service.
在 FCC 的公告裡提到授權了 900Mhz 頻段:「FCC GRANTS EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE FOR PROJECT LOON TO OPERATE IN PUERTO RICO」(PDF 檔但是標題是「Microsoft Word」...)。
Project Loon obtained consent agreements to use land mobile radio (LMR) radio spectrum in the 900 MHz band from existing carriers operating within Puerto Rico.
不過由於要讓使用者可以使用現有的 SIM 卡連上網,需要當地電信業者的合作,Google 目前還沒完全確認:
Alphabet hasn't announced a schedule for providing service in Puerto Rico, and the company says it is still determining whether it will be able to help.
Project Loon must be integrated with the network of a cellular company in order to provide service, and Alphabet is “making solid progress on this next step," the spokesperson said. Project Loon is part of Alphabet's X division, formerly known as "Google X."
是一戰成名的機會...