Google on Course For Project Loon Launch

[engine]

This is a fascinating concept, and one that has competitors, such as Facebook's internet.org [webmasterworld.com] platform, now they canned the satellites. [webmasterworld.com]

Google believes it is on course to have enough internet-beaming balloons in the stratosphere to form a ring over part of the world next year.

It told the BBC the move would let it trial a continuous data service to people living below the balloons' path. Google on Course For Project Loon Launch [bbc.co.uk]

"[We need] about 300 balloons or so to make a continuous string around the world," he explained.

[MrSavage]

And there goes any future plans for a homegrown internet provider. When the source is from the gods above, who needs to pay? Another market bites the dust. Free is amazing. I would be happy with a balloon over big North American cities. Thing is, that's a hard sell because of....I dunno, competition? Money? Conflict? PR nightmare? If it's not ethical to float a balloon in NA then why is it ethical over any other market?