Alphabet’s Loon launches its balloon-powered Kenyan internet service

Loon, a unit of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has launched its high-altitude internet balloons in Kenya, bringing tens of thousands of people online. A fleet of 35 balloons, 12 miles in the stratosphere, will provide 4G services to subscribers of Telkom Kenya, the country's third biggest telecoms operator. Together, the fleet will cover 20,000 square miles across western and central areas of the country. It is the first non-emergency use of Loon to provide the internet on a large scal