If there are two things we love here at TrustedReviews, it’s drones and high-speed internet.
Google is testing drones that can deliver super-fast 5G internet from the sky.
The project – dubbed SkyBender – is currently being trialled in New Mexico in the USA, as first revealed by the Guardian.
The drones make use of high-frequency millimetre waves that have the potential to offer gigabit speeds.
The downside of millimetre waves is that the transmission range is shorter – they disappear at about one tenth of the distance of a 4G signal. But speeds can rise to 40 times that of today’s 4G/LTE networks.
“The huge advantage of millimetre wave access to new spectrum because the existing cellphone spectrum is overcrowded,” Jacques Rudell, a professor of electrical engineering, tells the Guardian.
The drones use prototype tranceivers build by Google at the isolated Spaceport America, which once played host to Virgin Atlantic.
Spaceflight Operations Center runway
Google is currently occupying a 15,000-square-foot hangar, and has installed a “dedicated flight control centre” at the Spaceflight Operations Center nearby.
The search engine giant currently pays Virgin Galactic a $1,000-per-day fee for use of the hangar.
The company was also forced to agree to not take any photographs inside the building.
Related: DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone
According to the report, Google aims to eventually have thousands of high-altitude “self-flying aircraft” providing internet access to users around the world.
Do you think drones are the future of the internet? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
