The Sri Lankan government has arranged to buy a 25% stake in Project Loon, Google's ambitious plan to deliver the internet from a ring of high-altitude balloons.
Sri Lanka's telecommunications minister Harin Fernando has revealed that tests for the project will take place later in February, the Indian Express reported.
The trial will involve providing free internet through a network of balloons to the Colombo suburb of Ratmalana.
According to the report, 10% of the shares in the Project Loon joint venture will be offered to existing Sri Lankan operators.
The ministry estimates that there are just 3.3 million mobile internet subscribers and 630,000 fixed internet subscribers in Sri Lanka, a country with a population of over 20 million.
The government aims to extend broadband coverage to the entire island, while also using Project Loon to introduce more competition into the market, driving tariffs down.
Sri Lanka and Google entered a deal last July to make LTE connections over Loon available across the nation by March.
Source: http://www.telecomasia.net/content/sri-lanka-buy-25-stake-project-loon
