Google gets green light to provide cell service in Puerto Rico using balloons
Source: The Hill
BY JULIA MANCHESTER - 10/06/17 10:17 PM EDT
The parent company of Google received the green light on Friday to provide emergency cellular service to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico using balloons.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it had granted Alphabet Inc. permission to use solar power balloons to bring cellular service to the island, which has been left largely without power since Hurricane Maria hit last month.
"FCC issues experimental license to Google to provide emergency cellular service in Puerto Rico through Project Loon balloons," Matthew Berry, chief of staff to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, wrote on Twitter.
Pai said on Friday he was launching a Hurricane Recovery Task Force focused on providing aid to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/354348-google-gets-green-light-to-provide-cell-service-in-puerto-rico
Old Vet
(2,001 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)If they still have cell phones and some way to charge them, it sounds like a doable solution.
Atticus
(15,124 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,682 posts)Atticus (2,648 posts) Tue Sep 26, 2017, 07:35 PM
This may be crazy, but---
Since nearly all of the cell phone towers in Puerto Rico were destroyed and, therefore, there's almost no signal available anywhere, could tethered weather balloons or something similar temporarily substitute for the towers? Don't know the weight of the equipment that would have to be elevated, so maybe not feasible. I understand there are other concerns, but would this be possible to improve communication?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029639937
~ ~ ~
Looks as if someone, maybe the Rooskies, have been stealing your ideas!
Very interesting!
Chemisse
(30,824 posts)You never know, maybe they got it from you.
Judi Lynn
(160,682 posts)OCTOBER 6, 2017 / 9:53 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said late on Friday it had approved Alphabet Incs application to provide emergency cellular service to Puerto Rico through balloons.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has struggled to regain communications services. The FCC said on Friday that 83 percent of cell sites remain out of service, while wireless communications company are deploying temporary sites.
Alphabet, which announced its Project Loon in 2013 to use solar-powered, high-altitude balloons to provide internet service in remote regions, said in an FCC filing it was working to support licensed mobile carriers restoration of limited communications capability in Puerto Rico.
Earlier on Friday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced he was forming a Hurricane Recovery Task Force with an emphasis on addressing challenges facing Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
More:
http://in.reuters.com/article/usa-puertorico-cellular/google-to-use-balloons-to-provide-puerto-rico-cell-service-idINKBN1CC03B
eppur_se_muova
(36,317 posts)What's the point of years of R&D if nobody ever uses the things ?
snort
(2,334 posts)christx30
(6,241 posts)Waiting on local cell towers to be rebuilt from the ground up?
Yavin4
(35,455 posts)And there's plenty of it.
iluvtennis
(19,912 posts)is stepping up to the plate
Crash2Parties
(6,017 posts)kimbutgar
(21,285 posts)The full solar energy, underground infrastructure and geothermal technology. My dream.
riversedge
(70,464 posts)survival mode right now but .............it is a good dream.
whistler162
(11,155 posts)both territory and federal will take, the unfortunate, advantage and work to have fiber run under ground to as many areas as possible along with electrity? Probably not would make too much sense and be to experimental.