May 23, 2019

The USTTI is thrilled to welcome Loon to the USTTI Board of Directors. Based in Mountain View, California, Loon’s mission is to connect people everywhere by inventing and integrating audacious technologies. With balloons traveling on the edge of space, acting as floating cell towers, Loon is working to connect the billions around the world who are still without Internet access. Loon is a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

According to USTTI Chairman Ambassador Michael R. Gardner, “Loon is offering a promising opportunity for people who may otherwise not have the ability to obtain connectivity. In joining the USTTI Board of Directors, we look forward to Loon sharing information on their important developments with USTTI scholars.”

The system of balloons navigate wind currents 20 kilometers above the Earth and bypass the limitations that have restricted traditional, ground-based Internet infrastructure from providing access to those in remote or hard-to-cover areas. USTTI President, Jim O’Connor recently stated, “It has been inspiring to learn about and see first-hand the incredible effort Loon has and is undertaking in their efforts to connect the unconnected.”

As a member of the USTTI Board, subject matter experts from Loon will conduct training and participate in USTTI seminars as a way to share information on the technology they have developed and the potential it has for expanding coverage in unconnected and under-connected communities around the world.

Loon will be represented on the USTTI Board of Directors by Julie Kearney, Loon’s Head of Regulatory Affairs, who stated, “We’re incredibly excited about this opportunity to spread the word about Loon, our innovative technology, and our efforts to connect people everywhere.”