Google is taking the Internet to new heights. Literally.
The company on Sept. 12 filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking permission to access two frequency blocks for tests lasting six months. Scheduled to start on Oct. 6, the tests will be carried out above an area spanning over 1,400 square kilometers east of Albuquerque in the heart of New Mexico.
According to the application, Google will be using technology from Titan Aerospace, a company specializing in developing electric and solar unmanned aerial systems for long-endurance flights. Google had acquired Titan Aerospace in April and is looking at the possibility that Titan's products can be used to bring internet access to remote areas or aid in monitoring damage to the environment like deforestation and oil spills. According to reports, a solar-powered drone can stay in the air for up to five years, a really convenient feature if Google does pursue using drones to deliver Internet access to customers.
In a closed environment, Google's tests will use two frequency blocks: one between 910MJz and 927MHz and another between 2.4GHz and 2.414GHz.. The 900MHz spectrum is utilized by wireless Internet service providers, toll readers, smart meters, baby monitors, and a host of other devices while the 2.4GHz falls within the same frequencies used by lower Wi-Fi channels.
Those also using the frequency blocks Google requested access to should not have any trouble because the company has advised the FCC that its tests will not be interfering with other users. Google also recognizes that there are federal operations using the 900MHz frequency so the company said that it is ready to work with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to avoid even the slightest disturbances.
The FCC has not approved Google's request yet but this isn't the first time that the company has turned to non-traditional means to deliver Internet access. Last year, it revealed Project Loon, an ambitious undertaking that relied on a series of high-altitude balloons floating in the wind about 65,000 feet from the ground. Loon's first experiments used transmission systems based on Wi-Fi but Google has moved on to experiment with LTE cellular transmissions in Nevada. Titan Aerospace was also involved in Project Loon.
Google has also ventured into drone-based product delivery, reported to be developing the service in a separate project. Looks like Google's keen on exploiting what unmanned flight can do.
