Google Will Soon Provide Free Internet in Sri Lanka

Google’s efforts to bring free internet to some of the world’s most remote areas is certainly commendable, and even though Project Loon is a very difficult project to complete on a global scale, Google is definitely making some incredible progress. To be more specific, Project Loon is expected to launch for the first time in Sri Lanka, which makes sense since this particular island country has been very supportive of the endeavor. Also, the fact that Sri Lanka measures just 25,000 square miles definitely helps.

The actual plan involves Google working closely with the island’s own internet providers in order to allow them to expand their range and service quality, which means that Project Loon for Sri Lanka won’t deliver free internet for everyone but will rather expand the coverage of existing networks. Keep in mind that the service can only deliver 3G speeds at this point, which means that tasks that require a bit of bandwidth such as high-quality video streaming will likely not be supported. However, light web browsing and the occasional YouTube video can be enjoyed in 3G without too many issues. Sri Lanka currently boasts about 20 million citizens, out of which only a bit over 3 million enjoy internet access. Therefore, Project Loon has the potential to improve the quality of life for many people. Google plans to start launching balloons by next March.

Thank you TheVerge for providing us with this information.