Is it possible to build Project Loon in Indonesia?
6:20 PM
How do you connect a country made of 17 thousand island to the internet?
That's a huge challenge faced by
Indonesia, and one that hope to reach using its high altitude baloon.
Its a common thing where we in
remote area, its difficult to access information. We tend to think that
distribution of information is equal. But, only 29% of our population can
access internet.
Then how can we reach higher number?
Internet access distribution can
get through air. More precisely, air balloon. This balloon, Project Loon is an effort from Google X
to use high-altitude ballons to deliver internet in remoted areas or difficult
to access. Using a network of solar-powered balloons that can fly in 2-3 higher
than most commercial airplane.
This can faciliate the flow of
information needed for people out there. Availability of information to help
farmers reserach and analyze to increase their yield, or a mother who can help
their economy.
In education side, project loon can
provide schooling through online learning, especially XL elearn can more
accessed by the kids. And all the things about medicine, health, renewable
energy and collaboration.
And Google has partnered with three
Indonesian internet service providers – Telkomsel, Axiata and Indosat last
2015. According to Mrs. Dian Siswarini, CEO of XL Axiata, this is a good plan
to reach remote areas. She even suggested that it’s better to learn about the
programme’s business model before finally implementing it. And said that once
the economic motive is well understood, there wouldn’t be any excuse to oppose
implementing the programme.
But we have problem now..
Does this
thing will harm Telkom who invest in fibre optic infrastructure, or even palapa
satellite that made by our nation?
Not really, Loon is focusing on
hard-to-reach areas, not those we can reach using traditional methods. Without
Loon these areas would probably never be covered by us as they are either too
difficult or too costly. And beside that, Google can collaborate with our telco
companies to spread more our network.
So, as Mrs. Dian Siswarini said,
“It’s important to be open to new tech and innovation. We should judge
Google’s innovation by its benefits for the people. If it can accelerate the
connectivity distribution, then why not?”
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