This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
Published on May 5, 2020, the Loon balloon project, a collaboration between Alphabet Plc and Telkom Kenya, aims to enhance internet availability across the country using balloons that travel on the edge of space.
The project was launched at the right time, with Kenya in the initial phases of containing COVID-19. Boosting internet connectivity was geared towards minimizing the disruption caused by social distancing and stay-at-home measures to curb the spread of the disease while ensuring unhindered productivity to keep the economy afloat.
Although Kenya boasts one of the highest internet penetration levels in Africa, with an estimated 46 million internet users, internet coverage in rural areas, especially 4G, has been limited due to infrastructure constraints.
The Loon balloon project seeks to address this challenge by improving broadband connectivity in rural areas, which is critical to bridging the digital divide.
Improved broadband internet connectivity using technologies like 4G is also crucial in improving security in remote areas, especially in north-eastern Kenya, where terrorist attacks have been on the rise.
According to the International Crisis Group, constant destruction of communication masts by Al Shabaab has had dire socio-economic consequences for communities in north-eastern Kenya.
Al-Shabaab’s frequent destruction of communication masts along the border has forced residents to travel long distances to make telephone calls, and has also locked many locals out of the vibrant mobile phone money transfer system.
“Lack of communication lines has also limited the capacity of security forces to respond quickly to attacks. Hundreds of health centres have been closed due to lack of staff,” the organisation said in a report last year.
Foundation for Dialogue, an NGO working in PCVE space, notes that the Loon balloons floating high in the stratosphere deny Al Shabaab a crucial target, and will also provide high-speed internet connectivity to local communities, thus boosting security responses.
