If you see a large white dot in the sky, it is likely not an alien UFOs or even a weather balloon. Instead, it could be a large balloon that is the key to bringing internet access to remote areas.
Google and its Alphabet company’s Loon division, are sending high-altitude balloons 12 miles into the sky to provide a network of internet services.
The system has been in the testing phase in across the globe. On Monday, balloons were seen over Virginia and North Carolina after being tracked from Canada, WDBJ reported.
Got to lay eyes on two Project Loon High Altitude Balloons this evening. N307LB (HBAL229) and N286LB (HBAL212) Both flying at 52,300ft over the house. Pictures are rough but you can see the "UFO" shape and the outline of the equipment hanging below the balloon. pic.twitter.com/MfWM4a3kat
— Z. Alexander (@SS_Comms) July 7, 2020
The communication balloons were also sent up into the stratosphere to provide 4G LTE network connections to Kenya, The New York Times reported.
Loon launched 35 balloons over the past few months to prepare for the Kenyan launch, the Times reported.
This isn’t the first time the balloons were used to help facilitate communication. They were launched when Hurricane Maria destroyed cell towers in Puerto Rico in 2017. Until recently, however, they have only been used in emergency situations, according to the Times.
They float on the air currents above the earth and allow people to have remote contact with family members, doctors and officials during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Tech Crunch.
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