Giving Compass' Take:

• Google's sister company Loon is bringing Internet access to Kenya by flying a fleet of balloons with 4G over rural regions of the country. The balloons will have the ability to remain in the area for months at a time. 

• If this is successful, can these balloons be deployed over other countries that do not have Internet access? 

• Read about the struggle for parts of rural America to get online. 

A network of enormous balloons will be bringing internet access to some of Kenya’s most inaccessible regions from as early as next year.  Google’s sister company Loon — owned by Google parent company Alphabet Inc. — is behind the initiative, partnering with Telkom Kenya to deliver 4G coverage to the country’s rural areas.

The fleet of balloons — each reportedly about the size of a tennis court — will dangle antennae, and these will relay internet signals transmitted from the ground.  Each balloon can reportedly provide coverage to an area of about 5,000 square kilometers.

The balloons will be powered by a solar panel, made from polyethylene, and will be filled with helium. They’ll also designed to float above the country for months at a time without having to land.

But having internet access could be life-changing for those reached by the balloons’ connection. As of 2016, more than 4 billion people in the world — mostly in developing countries — didn’t have access to the internet.

And yet, advantages of an internet connection include far more than social media. The internet helps people access financial services, as well as health and education facilities; it provides a greater platform for the development of small businesses or startups; and helps people communicate with family and friends, among many other things.

It also opens up a whole world of opportunity for apps to make people’s lives easier and safer — health workers have been able to track patients with Ebola to reduce the spread of the virus, for example.

Experts have, however, raised some concerns about the balloon initiative leading to a monopoly on communications in rural areas that could leave people vulnerable to price hikes or changes in business strategy.

Read the full article about balloons bringing internet by Imogen Calderwood at Global Citizen