Google’s Project Loon ‘internet-beaming balloon’ is facing opposition from the various quarters of the Indian government. Many are saying that the initiative will interfere with mobile transmissions of telecom operators in the nation. This news roughly a month after PTI claimed the search giant was collaborating with the administration to kick off trials here.
In written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the proposed frequency band which is to be utilized for Project Loon is currently being used for cellular broadcasting. If the bandwidth is shared with the Google venture, the move will result in transmissions getting interrupted.
Prasad further said there were technical glitches which prevented the government from approving Project Loom. His comments come at a time when the communications ministry is facing heat from consumers for the widespread call drop issue in the country. Anything which is likely to exacerbate the problem will probably be heavily scrutinized.
Google has successfully tested Project Loon in the US (California), New Zealand and Brazil. The balloons which are utilized for the program are apparently capable of covering an area of over 40km through 4G LTE signals. It is placed 20km above the Earth and derives its power through solar panels and wind energy.
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An official source had previously stated that Project Loon might use the 2.6GHz spectrum for its purposes. Google was looking to partner with BSNL for the pilot stage of the venture, after which it would join hands with other operators and share airwaves. It’s supposed to function as a technology provider in these collaborations, with no plans to actually offer data.