Google Spreads Internet in Indonesia via Project Loon

medcom.id: The visit of Minister of Communication and Informatics, Rudiantara, accompanied by several Indonesian private companies' top leaders to the Silicon Valley, USA, on Wednesday, October 28, had resulted well. One of them is the commitment of Google to assist interest coverage in remote areas through Project Loon.
 
In cooperation with three Indonesian mobile operators - Telkomsel, XL Axiata and Indosat - Google's giant balloon is to spread the Internet connection equal to LTE to the regions unreachable by cable internet services.
 
"Indonesia is perfect for Project Loon," said Mike Cassidy, the leader of Project Loon, when meeting with the Communication Minister Rudiantara and his delegation, including the President Director of Telkomsel Ririek Adriansyah, XL CEO Dian Siswarini and Indosat CEO Alexander Rusli.

In the same occasion, founder of Google, Sergey Brin said, "Sometimes being out of the communication grid is good for all of us, but if it is part of your daily life and you have no access to information and abilities to communicate with those important for you, it's a loss."
 
As an example, based on eMarketer data, there are only 29 percent of Indonesians having access to Internet, as the speed is considered to be slow. Indonesia's main obstacle is the geographical factor and the expensive price of building underwater cable to connect the islands.
 
Until currently, the main weapon of most people to access internet is the satellite connection, which is relatively more expensive. This is where the Loon Project may play a vital role.
 
To enjoy a 10Mbps internet speed from Google's balloon, people only needs a mobile device which meets the requirements. It is also not an easy case, because based on Nielsen, only 23 percent of all cellphone users in Indonesia are using smartphones.
 
According to The Guardian, Google will need a year to test the technology with Telkomsel, XL and Indosat before launching a commercial product. They have not decided the tariff, but it will be regulated by the three operators, while google will focus on preparing 20,000 balloons to spread the Internet.
 
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