Google launches balloons over Australia

In partnership with Telstra, Google has sent up twenty Project Loon internet-bringing balloons in Australia.

Google is hoping to bring Project Loon to areas of the world that are lacking internet access for two distinct reasons: making it look good and increasing its customer base.

The project entails having helium balloons equipped with antennas that can beam 4G-style signals to phones and homes circling the globe on stratospheric winds.

Last year, Google ran a test flight over Christchurch in New Zealand were it said it had favorable stratospheric conditions for initial tests.

Working out of its Moonshot project, Project Loon also runs out of its Google X lab. The lab was also responsible for Google Glass. The balloons currently float at heights around twice the altitude of passenger jets for 100 days, bouncing the signal between them using small solar panels and batteries for power.