Project Loon takes to the skies in Puerto Rico

[Ian]

Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastating hurricane, which included huge amounts of damage to phone infrastructure (which will hamper relief efforts and limit contact for worried friends/family). Alphabet (Google's parent company) have launched high altitude balloons which can act as mobile base stations, allowing people to send text messages and use limited amounts of mobile data:

The Project Loon devices beam signals between each other and to users on the ground.

This extends communications networks in places where infrastructure is scarce or has been damaged.

The balloons will allow residents with LTE phones to send and receive text messages and access the web.

However, much of the country is still without electricity, and more than a quarter of the population lacks safe drinking water.

Read more at the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41721360