Google’s balloon-powered internet service is 100x closer to becoming a reality

Nearly four years ago, Google embarked on a mission to bring internet coverage to remote areas with specially designed balloons. It’s made steady progress in Project Loon’s numerous trials, but today, it’s announced a breakthrough that will make it significantly easier to deploy the service. Until now, the balloons were set to float around the globe in rings, moving up or down in the stratosphere to ride winds moving in the direction they need to travel; when one balloon drift