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Alphabet's Project Loon Delivers Internet To 100,000 People In Puerto Rico (engadget.com)
Google announced that its Project Loon internet balloons have delivered internet service to over 100,000 Puerto Ricans who were knocked offline by Hurricane Maria. Engadget reports: It's not a total success, which isn't to be expected after Puerto Ricans' communications infrastructure suffered so much damage. But the team was able to work with AT&T and T-Mobile to get "communication and internet activities like sending text messages and accessing information online for some people with LTE enabled phones," head of Project Loon Alastair Westgarth wrote in a blog post. The team launched their balloons from Nevada and used machine learning algorithms to direct them over Puerto Rico, where they've been relaying internet from working ground networks over to users in unconnected areas. In the post, Westgarth noted that Project Loon has never fired up internet from scratch this rapidly, and will improve their ability to keep balloons in place (and deliver sustained connectivity) as they become familiar with the air currents.
Is it just marketing at this point or is machine learning really required for something like this?
I'm currently on San Juan Puerto Rico. I don't know a single person who have receive internet from project loom. To the the 100k, is unreal, just a way the project has field.
The balloons have been within range of 100K people.
Not 100K people have actually used it. Or even been able to use it, if they even knew about it.
They have to be loons to be providing internet access to people who don't even have electricity.
You can also parse that 'which' as, "but a total success". That makes the sentence: "It's not a total success, but a total success isn't to be expected after Puerto Ricans' communications infrastructure suffered so much damage".
English isn't the most precise language in the world, simply one with high utility and popularity.
Food and water would probably be nice, too.
Agreed, but Alphabet isnâ(TM)t a utility provider. Iâ(TM)m betting that many folks who have a (charged) phone appreciate access to information that they didnâ(TM)t otherwise have. And the ability to at least text family and friends.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
I don't know... There are whole continents in this world where internet is wanted (and available) more than 100% (stable/abundant) power. The worst of your power problems you may be able to tackle locally and relatively easily if you're a bit resourceful (use some solar cells that still work, use a car battery, re-purpose a bike with a dynamo and use 'home training' to charge your cellphone...).
No equipment for the few data pipes still available in such situations (satellite frequencies) or laying emergency infrastructure (whether it's over amateur radio frequencies, or pieces of scrounged copper wire) is a lot harder to 'fix'.
I agree a roof, water and something nutritious enough to keep yourself alive does take precedence. But then it's communication (and by extension, internet) before power for me...
I don't know... There are whole continents in this world where internet is wanted (and available) more than 100% (stable/abundant) power. The worst of your power problems you may be able to tackle locally and relatively easily if you're a bit resourceful (use some solar cells that still work, use a car battery, re-purpose a bike with a dynamo and use 'home training' to charge your cellphone...). No equipment for the few data pipes still available in such situations (satellite frequencies) or laying emergency infrastructure (whether it's over amateur radio frequencies, or pieces of scrounged copper wire) is a lot harder to 'fix'. I agree a roof, water and something nutritious enough to keep yourself alive does take precedence. But then it's communication (and by extension, internet) before power for me...
There's an old episode of Bizarre Foods where the host visits a family that lives in a floating village on a flooded river in Vietnam. No power, but they used an old car battery to charge cell phones (one even rang while they were in the middle of nowhere fishing). They don't need access to reliable electricity; the cost/benefit for that just isn't there. But being able to power a cell phone or a light is a much better return on investment in many developing societies as it allows them to communicate, have access to information, and, in the case of a light, allows for a lot more time for reading/studying/etc
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil