Alphabet’s Project Loon has used its internet delivery balloons to connect 100,000 people in Puerto Rico to the internet. The company secured a license from the FCC after Hurricane Maria so that it could use its technology to connect people in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
So far, AT&T and T-Mobile customers have been able to receive service in some regions due to the balloons. Alastair Westgarth, Project Loon’s project lead, says it’s very important that people have a way to communicate and receive information during crises. Natural disasters like hurricanes can decimate communication infrastructures, making tools like Project Loon quite helpful.
