Technology

Google testing solar power drones to beam ultrafast 5G internet

By B Biswal

Posted on February 1, 2016

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Google is testing solar powered drones in New Mexico region of United States to beam ultra fast internet services, which can transmit 40 times more data than current 4G services.

The drones are being trialled at Spaceport America under its secret project called SkyBender.

The Guardian reported that Google has built transreceivers at the Virgin Galactic’s Gateway to Space terminal at Spaceport America which will help in beaming high speed 5G internet from sky.

The newspaper also reported that the search major is using a 15,000 square feet hangar at the spaceport to keep its drones and other aircrafts.

Google said to have built a flight control system there for these drones and as part of the SkyBender project, engineers from Google are planning trial of millimetre-wave radio transmissions.

For the millimetre-wave radio transmissions, the engineers will use free spectrum which is different from what is used in smartphones.

The main challenges of millimetre-wave radio transmissions are that they can travel only for short distance, much shorter compared to 4G signals.

Google is currently testing to transmit signals at 28GHz frequency from the hovering drones which can travel one tenth of distance of 4G signals.

SkyBender is part of Google Access which includes its Project Loon through which the company looks to deliver LTE connectivity to remote areas through giant helium balloons.

External links

Bringing the Internet within reach of 100 million Indonesians
Project Skybender: Google’s secretive 5G internet drone tests revealed
Google’s Skybender And Ericsson’s 150Kg Phone Are First Signs That 5G Is Coming For Real
Google’s planning to deliver super-fast 5G Internet from solar-powered drones
BALLOON-POWERED INTERNET FOR EVERYONE
What is Google’s Project SkyBender?

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