Project Loon, Google's initiative to establish worldwide Internet access, recently expanded its LTE testing area to include areas of the Nevada desert.
According to IDG News Service, although the tech giant has yet to confirm LTE and licensed radio spectrum testing in Nevada, local officials substantiated that recent sightings of balloon launches were connected with Project Loon.
What is Project Loon?
According to Google, while many global citizens take Internet access for granted as a worldwide commodity, about two-thirds of the planet does not have reliable connectivity.
"Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps and bring people back online after disasters," Google stated.
Project Loon efforts first began in June of 2013 when Google launched several balloons to heights of about 65,000 feet above Earth's surface. The project utilized 2.4 GHz radio links within an unlicensed section of the spectrum.
Nevada 4G LTE radio spectrum testing
Recently, Loon's head network engineer Cyrus Behroozi petitioned the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for permission to test in a large area of the northern Nevada desert. These tests would take place in two portions of radio spectrum utilized for 4G LTE service delivery. This represents the first time Project Loon testing would take place in the licensed radio spectrum.
While Google's requests did not specifically outline the technology platform Project Loon was seeking to test in the Nevada desert, they did mention signals including LTE, WiMax and several other point-to-point microwave data transmission systems.
As speculation surrounds the recent LTE testing as part of the Project Loon, it is clear that Google prefers secrecy about its activities in the Southwest.
"The technology is under development and highly sensitive and confidential in nature," Google wrote in a message to the FCC.
Google also stated that publicity of the tests would "jeopardize the value of the technology," and potentially allow other organizations to "utilize Google information to develop similar products in a similar timeframe."
However, as the balloon launches could interfere with other aerial activities in the area, Google must disclose the timeframes for the send-offs. According to Bravo Airspace information obtained by IDG News Service, the latest launch occurred on April 7 when a balloon took off from a Winnemucca​, Nev., airport. The launch site is near the northwest corner of Google's described testing area, and its projected path would take it southeast, across the testing region.
If successful, Google's Project Loon could improve the delivery of LTE network services, and make access available for more customers.
