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Wow....this is mind-blowing. The potential impact of a globally connected internet is crazy. No longer can a country fully filter/control all internet traffic.

Wow....this is mind-blowing. The potential impact of a globally connected internet is crazy. No longer can a country fully filter/control all internet traffic. This could be a major boon to democracy. I wonder if Google did this, partially to piss China off. This seems like an awesome way to get around the 'Great Firewall'.

cheeseprocedure 13y ago
I wonder how long it'll be before reports surface of authoritarian countries deploying anti-Loon lasers. In all seriousness, I'm curious how difficult it would be to jam this network.
- wmf 13y ago
  It's low power in known bands, but coving a very large area. Maybe somebody could launch their own jamming balloons. In the short term Google says they'll abide local laws so I suspect no jamming will be needed.
krasin 13y ago
>I wonder if Google did this, partially to piss China off. Clearly, not. China has enough air power (including drones) to shut down any amount of the balloons.
- tantalor 13y ago
  I don't think conventional drones can fly that high.
  - sounds 13y ago
    Begun, the balloon wars have. Actually, kite fights are an old Asian tradition: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101010110043AA4d95D http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101010110043AA...
  - Keyframe 13y ago
    Missiles can.
    - voodoomagicman 13y ago
      Missiles that can are much more expensive than baloons
      - andrewflnr 13y ago
        If I'm China, I don't care about how expensive the targets are, I just care whether keeping my death-grip on the Internet is worth the price of the ammunition.
      - TeMPOraL 13y ago
        Then how about baloons with guns?
macspoofing 13y ago
>This seems like an awesome way to get around the 'Great Firewall'. Who says you can deploy them over china?
- marcamillion 13y ago
  >Who says you can deploy them over china? Who says you can't? As far as it seems, it will be circling Earth in low-orbit. Not sure China could stop them if they wanted to.

cheeseprocedure 13y ago

I wonder how long it'll be before reports surface of authoritarian countries deploying anti-Loon lasers. In all seriousness, I'm curious how difficult it would be to jam this network.

wmf 13y ago
It's low power in known bands, but coving a very large area. Maybe somebody could launch their own jamming balloons. In the short term Google says they'll abide local laws so I suspect no jamming will be needed.

krasin 13y ago

>I wonder if Google did this, partially to piss China off. Clearly, not. China has enough air power (including drones) to shut down any amount of the balloons.

tantalor 13y ago
I don't think conventional drones can fly that high.
- sounds 13y ago
  Begun, the balloon wars have. Actually, kite fights are an old Asian tradition: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101010110043AA4d95D http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101010110043AA...
- Keyframe 13y ago
  Missiles can.
  - voodoomagicman 13y ago
    Missiles that can are much more expensive than baloons
    - andrewflnr 13y ago
      If I'm China, I don't care about how expensive the targets are, I just care whether keeping my death-grip on the Internet is worth the price of the ammunition.
    - TeMPOraL 13y ago
      Then how about baloons with guns?

macspoofing 13y ago

>This seems like an awesome way to get around the 'Great Firewall'. Who says you can deploy them over china?

marcamillion 13y ago
>Who says you can deploy them over china? Who says you can't? As far as it seems, it will be circling Earth in low-orbit. Not sure China could stop them if they wanted to.