Says Loon Balloons Offer Better Chance Of Success For Remote Internet Connectivity

Alphabet's Titan project turned out to not be so titanic after all. The online giant has quietly dropped plans for high-altitude solar-powered drones to deliver Internet connectivity to remote areas.

The reason, according to a statement from Alphabet, is that its Project Loon balloons look "much more promising" as a way of delivering the Internet to underserved regions.

According to the company: "The team from Titan was brought into X in late 2015. We ended our exploration of high altitude UAVs for internet access shortly after. By comparison, at this stage the economics and technical feasibility of Project Loon present a much more promising way to connect rural and remote parts of the world. Many people from the Titan team are now using their expertise as part of other high flying projects at X, including Loon and Project Wing."

The Verge relays a report from Bloomberg that lists other changes in the company's "X" incubator lineup. According to Bloomberg, Alphabet has put robot maker Boston Dynamics up for sale, and the driverless car project has been carved out into a standalone business called Waymo. It is also negotiating the sale of its satellite business, according to the report.

(Image from file)

FMI: https://abc.xyz/