Google’s Secretive 5G Internet Drone Tests Revealed

It has been learned that Google is testing solar-powered drones in New Mexico for delivering high-speed internet.

Project SkyBender is using drones to experiment with millimetre-wave radio transmissions, one of the technologies that could underpin next generation 5G wireless internet access. High frequency millimetre waves can theoretically transmit gigabits of data every second, up to 40 times more than today’s 4G LTE systems. Google ultimately envisages thousands of high altitude “self-flying aircraft” delivering internet access around the world.

They will need to be above commercial air space and military air space so why not use satellites?

Technical_Advisor said:

They will need to be above commercial air space and military air space so why not use satellites?

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Horrible latency with satellites. Have you ever used DirecWay/Hughesnet/Wildblue? It's a horrible experience.

Satellites have to orbit at a pretty far distance, like on the order of 22,000-26,000 miles, and the signal has to travel up, then be bounced back down to the earth to make a one-way packet. To get the response, back up and back down. Even traveling at the speed of light, that adds a noticeable amount of latency.

That's fine if all you are doing is viewing web pages or streaming something that can be buffered, but it hardly works at all for things like VOIP or gaming.

Brian_B said:

Satellites have to orbit at a pretty far distance, like on the order of 22,000-26,000 miles, and the signal has to travel up, then be bounced back down to the earth to make a one-way packet. To get the response, back up and back down. Even traveling at the speed of light, that adds a noticeable amount of latency.

That's fine if all you are doing is viewing web pages or streaming something that can be buffered, but it hardly works at all for things like VOIP or gaming.

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Geostationary satellites have to orbit at ~22,000mi. Low Earth Orbit is only a few hundred miles though. If they're considering using this on drones, obviously fixed elevation/azimuth is not an issue, so long as they put up a sufficient number of sats to keep one within LOS at all times latency wouldn't be that bad.

The real problem would be with signal attenuation of millimeter wave (28GHz in this case) signals. We all know TV signals had pretty decent range and went through walls and buildings pretty effectively at ~700MHz. 2.4GHz wifi obviously has less range and penetration. 5GHz wifi even less range and penetration capability than 2.4GHz. The 28GHz signals being tested here suffer from even greater attenuation problems. Even without any solid physical obstructions, I think it would be a lot to ask to get a few hundred miles of range out of a 28GHz signal to reach LEO.

This seems more complex than the starry stuff posted not long ago.
They are using similar frequencies with similar issues apparently.
Why not buy starry and Googlelize with mega-bucks (or Alphabetize it I suppose.).
I know its always about remote areas with no internet, and messed up countries.. how about poor, population-dense areas here in the US? I am sure they dont have access to 4 different ISPs at low low prices.