{"id":5996,"date":"2021-09-04T21:37:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T21:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=5996"},"modified":"2021-09-04T21:37:58","modified_gmt":"2021-09-04T21:37:58","slug":"the-case-for-beaming-internet-into-cuba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=5996","title":{"rendered":"The Case for Beaming Internet Into Cuba"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\n“Originally developed by Google before being partially scrapped for not being economically viable<\/a>, Project Loon was a pre-Starlink attempt to bring mobile internet to rural areas<\/a> by attaching antennas to weather balloons that could function as de facto cell phone towers floating more than 10 miles up in the air. The idea has only been tested on a large scale once\u2014in Puerto Rico<\/a> during the aftermath of the two devastating hurricanes that hit the island in 2017\u2014but showed some promise. A 2018 test showed that a fleet of Loon balloons could maintain a connection over 620 miles, according to the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, Cuba is just 90 miles from the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not a slam dunk, of course. Signals could be jammed by the Cuban government, which already tries to block Radio Televisi\u00f3n Mart\u00ed as much as possible. Many Cubans’ cell phones might not be able to connect<\/a> due to differences in network protocols. And whatever connectivity is possible will be slow and spotty<\/a>, at least by American standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it may be worth making the attempt anyway, particularly since the technology already exists and could be deployed for minimal cost. There’s little to lose, and much that could be gained\u2014not just in Cuba, but in other fights against tyrannical regimes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Case for Beaming Internet Into Cuba<\/a><\/blockquote>