The technology pilot with Loon will be coming to an end on March 1, 2021. This news comes following the announcement that Loon LLC is being wound up as a company, globally. The intent of the Loon technology pilot was to help bridge the digital divide through the provision of 4G/LTE coverage using floating cell towers in areas that were difficult to access and connect via terrestrial solutions, as well as the ones that were not commercially viable for service providers. “Loon would not have been possible without a community of innovators and risk takers who were willing to take a chance on us and build something the world has never seen before,” said Looon’s chief executive officer, Alastair Westgarth adding that despite being sad because Loon’s journey is coming to an end, they were grateful to the Telkom team for their vision and partnership.
Over the coming months, the Loon team will work closely with Telkom to ensure the operations of the technology’s pilot service are wrapped up safely and smoothly. In view of this development, Mugo Kibati, chief executive officer, Telkom Kenya said : “ It was very exciting to partner with like-minded pioneers in the adoption and usage of innovative technologies such as Loon, with the aim of filling in the Internet access gaps in areas that were difficult to service.” He added : “ Their vision – to connect unconnected and under-connected communities by inventing and integrating audacious technologies – sat well with our mission, to provide the best value for a simpler life, efficient business and stronger communities.”
