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Google Looking At Balloon Wi-Fi

There's an idea

By Vlad Constandes, SEO News Editor

21st of February 2008, 19:06 GMT

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Google has always been known as an innovative company and it strived to keep its good name as such. Being less under the spotlight with the Microsoft Yahoo! bid and everything related to it, the Mountain View based company has found some time to look at something else

rather than the ongoing fight ahead of it at all times. So it turned to the sky and saw the huge opportunity that Space Data Corp is offering with its balloons.

SDC provided wireless services via balloons, in a more intricate and powerful manner than many would have thought. The concept behind its business is simple. Why build cell phone towers every x miles when you could have the same technology even higher and cheaper? After the research was made, CEO Jerry Knoblach decided to bring wireless service by beaming it down from balloons hovering at the edge of space, as the Wall Street Journal reports.

The balloons are filled with hydrogen, much cheaper than helium, and cost about $50. The downside of the whole 'cheap' thing is that they burst in about 24 hours after they have been launched, making the service unstable while down. The $1500 transceivers tied to the mini - Hindenburgs are then parachuted down to Earth in a very safe manner but take a world of pain and searching to be found.

"Google believes balloons like these could radically change the economics of offering cellphone and Internet services in out-of-the-way areas, according to people familiar with its thinking. The company is among the registered bidders for a big chunk of radio spectrum at a government auction currently under way in Washington," Amol Sharma of the WSJ wrote. The Mountain View based company was not available for comment on the possible partnering or acquisition of Space Data Corp.

TAGS:

google news | google | balloons | wi-fi | space data corp

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