Google's Web Balloons Head To Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is set to become the first country in the world to have universal internet coverage thanks to 3G Google (Xetra: A0B7FY - news) balloons.

The island nation has signed a deal with the technology giant to take part in its Project Loon programme, which sees balloons taking to the skies to act as Wi-Fi hubs to provide 3G internet to hard-to-reach places.

Just three million of Sri Lanka's 20 million citizens have internet access, so the connections could be revolutionary for society.

Google will work with Sri Lanka's local internet providers, allowing them to use Project Loon balloons to boost their coverage across the country.

The subsequent connection deals for customers will be "affordable", the Sri Lankan government says.

Google Loon was announced in 2013 with a test in New Zealand and very little information released since then.

The Sri Lanka move is the most significant development since the project was first announced.

Loon uses helium-filled balloons which link together to form a network that gives internet access to remote areas. Each balloon stays in the sky for up to 100 days at a time.

There is no timetable of implementation for Sri Lanka, and a launch in 2015 is "highly unlikely", according to a source cited by the Financial Times.