Google’s Wi-Fi Balloons Could Be Trialled In Australia In 2014

We know Project Loon, Google’s crazy-cool plan to provide Wi-Fi coverage by floating balloons into the sky, will be given its first crack in New Zealand. But reports suggest Australia could get a chance to try it out next year, though you’ll probably need to live south — deep south — if you want to be involved.

Now, Google decided the best place to test the balloons out, thanks to favourable weather conditions, is the 40th parallel south. In terms of the Asia Pacific, this neatly covers New Zealand’s north island and… wait for it… Tasmania.

According to a story in The Age, Google is looking to get these Wi-Fi delivering balloons doing their thing in Australia halfway through 2014. It’s speculated in the article that because of its positioning near the parallel, northern Tassie would be the ideal location for the trial.

Perhaps a few southern-dwelling Victorians might get in on the action as well, but we’ll have to wait for Google to tell us the final details — though it’ll be holding “discussions” with the Government before going ahead.

[The Age]

Image: Google


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