Google began a pilot experiment in New Zealand where about 30 balloons were launched in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority from the Tekapo area in the South Island. About 50 local users in and around Christchurch and the Canterbury Region tested connections to the aerial network using special antennas.
The project can be traced back to the year 2008w hen Google considered contracting with or acquiring Space Data Corp., a company that sends balloons carrying small base stations about 20 miles (32 km) up in the air for providing connectivity to truckers and oil companies in the southern United States, but didn't do so.
Unofficial development on the project began in 2011 under incubation in Google X with a series of trial runs in California's Central Valley. The project was officially announced as a Google project on 14 June 2013.
Project Loon is a project developed by Google with the mission of providing internet access to rural and remote areas, as well as developing countries where internet is not yet accessible. The project uses high-altitude balloons placed in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 12 miles (20 km) to create an aerial wireless network with up to 3G-like speeds.