Talk:Loon LLC

Merge?

Two articles, Project Loon and Google Balloon Internet have sprung up for the same topic. This is fine for a short while, but they will need to be merged at some point. Snori (talk) 18:31, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

I don't think "Google Balloon Internet" is an official term used by Google to describe the wireless balloon internet system, so that article can be merged into this one. - M0rphzone (talk) 22:23, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

Agreed. Awesome content though. Let's get that one merged over to this one! :) --Dan Leveille (talk) 23:06, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

I don't know about an official term used by Google. I got the name of the article from various online newspapers. SunStar reference reads: The first person to get Google Balloon Internet access this week was Charles Nimmo, a farmer and entrepreneur in the small town of Leeston.

Since we all did articles in Good Faith on the same item, coming up different wording, perhaps all of us as the contribitors of both articles merged into one could be co-editors on a DYK after a merge....(?) Hook line???

If my material was merged into your's, how do you propose we should do this?--Doug Coldwell (talk) 23:23, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

I think the term was used in the AFP release here and the AP release here, but the Wired article never mentioned that term.

I went ahead and merged the content in this edit. I moved the technology section into this article, kept the lede used in this article, and didn't add the advantages and disadvantages sections, since they don't provide enough substantial content that isn't addressed in previous sections. I didn't add some redundant sources, since all of the content should already be mentioned by the Wired, ArsTechnica, New Zealand Herald, AFP, and AP sources, and replaced the AP and AFP-derived sources with the original ones. If I missed any substantial content that you'd like to merge, feel free to do so.

For the possible DYK hook, we could use, "DYK... that Google is developing a project to send hundreds of balloons into the stratosphere to beam wireless Internet to rural and remote locations?" or something along those lines. - M0rphzone (talk) 06:00, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Great merging job. You are really familiar with the project. I'll do the DYK nomination (and QPQ) today. Which editors should get credit in the DYK? --Doug Coldwell (talk) 10:22, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Do you think the balloon image should be included in the nomination?--Doug Coldwell (talk) 10:38, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, and the image should work fine. This'll be my first DYK, but you can give credit to Danlev (or yourself) too. Do I need to review another nomination? - M0rphzone (talk) 19:55, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

No, you do NOT have to do a review. It is all set up that everyone I mentioned (Doug Coldwell, Danlev, M0rphzone, and Pinot) will automatically get credit after the article is approved as a DYK.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:07, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Ok, and for the citation we can use the Wired source. - M0rphzone (talk) 20:35, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Presently its in the last line of the History section, as reference #2 as Google News that the Reviewer that approves it will automatically find.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:43, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

FYI, here is my list of DYKs.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:51, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Alright that works, and we can also link to high-altitude balloons. Thanks for the previous DYK examples and nice job creating them. - M0rphzone (talk) 21:05, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

I have added Project Loon to the "See also" list of high-altitude balloons to take care of the linking.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 21:15, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Check out "What Links Here" on the Project Loon article.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 21:19, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

I meant the "balloons" in the DYK hook can be linked to high-altitude balloons. - M0rphzone (talk) 00:04, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

 Done with a little rewording to the hook to keep it under the 200 character limit.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 10:58, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Alright, nice work! - M0rphzone (talk) 01:14, 22 June 2013 (UTC)

Picture

Where do you think we could get a good copyright free picture that would represent Project Loon, that could be used in the DYK nomination?--Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:11, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

We can use the existing image or this one, but it'll need to be filled in with a dark blue background. I'm going to edit the image and upload it to Commons anyways, so the infobox can have an image, but I think the photos of the balloons and balloon launching are more informative. - M0rphzone (talk) 19:55, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

I found some CC-BY-2.0 images on Flickr. - M0rphzone (talk) 20:09, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Yes, I know about these pictures. I asked the photographer to lower his license on these photos and he was gracious enough to do it.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:15, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Yes, I agree - the existing photos that we have in the article now are sufficient. I think that's all we need.--Doug Coldwell (talk) 20:16, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Origin of name

With regards to the origin of the name, I have so far only seen sources stating that it is because the idea is "crazy", (like a loon [1]) The name itself comes from Google's own acknowledgment that the plan sounds a bit crazy... like a loon, some might say, but that is only part of the reason.[2] I'm assuming that the rest of the reason is that it is Internet by balloon, "The idea may sound a bit crazy - and that's part of the reason we're calling it Project Loon - but there's solid science behind it," Google said, but added: "This is still highly experimental technology and we have a long way to go." but do any sources actually come out and say it? Chris857 (talk) 22:13, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Haven't seen any sources that specifically say that, but it's probably implied. - M0rphzone (talk) 19:55, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Removed redlink png

Removing redlink "File:Project Loon.png". It was added by SandisterTei, then SandisterTei moved the text for that "png" and changed description. Checked http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:ListFiles/SandisterTei and no uploads listed for SandisterTei. --EarthFurst (talk) 17:26, 21 July 2013 (UTC)

Free-air optics

Google Project Loon: 10 Mbps for users, 50 Gbps ultra-bright LED links between backbone super-nodes 100 miles apart states that Project Loon has a backbone of "super-nodes" which communicate with free-air optical links. Does anyone have more information on these links or how they work? Are they produced by Raven Aerostar as the balloons are? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.9.113.233 (talk) 17:28, 20 September 2013 (UTC)

Facebook

Facebook has a similar project using solar-powered autonomous aircraft; anyone know what it's called? --Pawyilee (talk) 13:12, 10 May 2014 (UTC) Facebook has bought a Somerset-based designer of solar-powered drones for $20m (£12m) as it goes head-to-head with Google in a high-altitude race to connect the world's most remote locations to the internet. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, has unveiled plans to beam broadband....

Incorrect date on history section

"In 2020, Google had considered contracting with or acquiring Space Data Corp., a company that sends balloons carrying small base stations about 20 miles (32 km) up in the air for providing connectivity to truckers and oil companies in the southern United States, but didn't do so.[7]"

Year is incorrect but referenced source does not load. Anyone know the date? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.75.229.27 (talk) 03:54, 3 March 2015 (UTC)

Inaccurate technical descriptions

I suggest that people read this patent application by Google, especially the sections on free-space optical links using ultra-bright LEDs to communicate between super-nodes and RF communication systems to communicate between sub-node balloons and, possibly, ground stations. -- Ustawa (talk) 15:13, 18 April 2015 (UTC)

Microwave radiation

Is this micro-wave radiation? If so, that should be more directly mentioned in the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Two Wrongs (talk • contribs) 18:08, 2 May 2015 (UTC)

Switch to LTE

>Currently, the balloons communicate using unlicensed 2.4 and 5.8 GHz ISM bands

The Loon website was changed to state it now uses LTE technology in November 2014. — Preceding unsigned comment added by TotoCZ (talk • contribs) 17:20, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

Google vs. Alphabet

Should some Google referenced be changed, as appropriate? -KaJunl (talk) 22:25, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

Incorrect and/or outdated information

"The project uses high-altitude balloons placed in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 32 km (20 mi) to create an aerial wireless network with up to 3G-like speeds." - The height is 20 km

"Users of the service connect to the balloon network using a special Internet antenna attached to their building." - Users can connect directly from an LTE enabled device

"As a result, Sri Lanka will be the first country in the world to get full coverage of 3G internet, using this technology." - Loon uses LTE, not 3G

2602:30A:C021:13D0:518B:99FD:9CC8:3EF6 (talk) 01:18, 15 August 2015 (UTC)

Photo of receiver

A picture of a receiver would add a lot to the description of such. -- Beland (talk) 19:55, 19 July 2016 (UTC)

Incorrect Company Name

The company currently referenced as responsible for Project Loon is a fictitious organisation (CXOON.inc). The company responsible for Project Loon is X (formerly Google [x]) -

References

Do we need the incident list?

Okay, so some balloons have "crashed" whatever that means. Is there a point to including this? Unless there's property damage or injuries, that's probably just normal initial testing. How many flights were done successfully during that time period? IMO, then a simple sentence, "During 2017, X% of flights have ended in a crash" would be all that's needed. Nerfer (talk) 18:49, 10 November 2017 (UTC)

yes, and it stops in 2017, which implies there have been no more. irritating. the whole article is confus and not up to date — Preceding unsigned comment added by 47.70.3.91 (talk) 10:20, 11 December 2019 (UTC)

Defunct?

I was monitoring FlightRadar24 earlier today and saw two LOON balloons over West Africa. Is it really done? 47.137.184.131 (talk) 06:14, 28 January 2021 (UTC)