Google Parent Alphabet To Blast Indonesia With Internet Via ‘Loon’ Balloons in 2016

We've been hearing about Google's ambitious "Project Loon" for a couple of years, and given the lack mention of a definitive launch, it's left some wondering if it would in fact become a reality. Well, a major update has just been posted to the project's official Google+ page, proving that sometimes, it's not wise to jump to conclusions.

At some point next year, Project Loon is going to be launching a bunch of balloons that will hover over Indonesia. Indonesia is a country that comprises many islands, and so it'd be an extremely difficult thing to roll out hard cable across them all to ensure that everyone has Internet access. That's a reality that's not going to change, and it's one where balloons can help.

Drawing from an Internet source where it is readily available, these balloons will help pass along data across its network. This will be done through a partnership with Indosat, Telkomsel, and XL Axiata, and should help many of those people living across these 17,000 islands get online. The project mentions that currently, only one in every three Indonesians have Internet access, so the need for this kind of solution is clear.

The roll out of balloons will follow the 17 million kilometers' worth of test flights, which saw the balloons hover over jungle, mountains, and plains. Despite being light, and see-through, these balloons are apparently pretty resilient to the conditions that will surround them.

It's not clear exactly when this launch will take place, but one thing's for certain: it's going to be very exciting when it happens.