Farmers see future in Project Loon

Federated Farmers of New Zealand is excited about Google's global trial for its revolutionary Project Loon.

Google envisage a ring of balloons, circling the globe on stratospheric winds, providing internet access to rural, remote and under-served areas of land.

The balloons, carried by winds at altitudes twice as high as commercial jets fly, would beam internet access to the ground at 3G speeds.

Last week a trial took place in Tekapo.

"Google's Project Loon is the epitome of innovation. It takes cool science and puts it together in a completely new way," said Dr William Rolleston, Federated Farmers Vice-President, speaking immediately after the global launch of Google Loon in Christchurch.

"What Google proposes ... is, quite literally, the material of Star Trek.

"Google Loon is a radical but inspiring solution which could eliminate the latency downside of satellite and weak or non-existent wireless for those areas where fibre-based broadband cannot reach," he said.

"Potentially this is huge given New Zealand's Rural Broadband Initiative still leaves around a quarter of rural New Zealand without reliable or rapid access to the internet.

"Given the genesis of the New Zealand economy starts in the rural hinterland, Project Loon could well be a step-change to supercharge New Zealand's primary industries.

"Project Loon potentially eliminates the technological tyranny of being rural. It means businesses, services and communities can be put on an even footing with the cities.

"That could reinvigorate rural communities the world over, but especially right here in New Zealand," Dr Rolleston added.