Alphabet's Loon Teams Up With AT&T for Faster Global Disaster Response
Alphabet's Loon integrates its stratospheric balloon network with AT&T to rapidly restore cellular service during global disasters. The partnership provides pre-negotiated access to over 200 roaming partners worldwide.
Alphabet's Loon partners with AT&T to integrate its stratospheric balloon network with the carrier's global systems. This agreement allows Loon to tap into AT&T's network and over 200 international roaming partners to provide rapid cellular coverage during emergencies.
Historically, establishing these mobile partnerships takes weeks or months of complex negotiations, which is often more difficult than flying the balloons themselves. By securing this integration in advance, Loon bypasses a major bottleneck and prepares for swift deployments wherever disasters strike.
The company also prepares for upcoming needs by securing fly-over permissions from over 50 regulatory bodies and installing ground stations in vulnerable areas like the Caribbean. Loon previously collaborated with AT&T to restore service in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and it simultaneously readies its first commercial launch in Kenya.