According to the Sina Technology News on June 17, 2013, Google's secretive research team Google X has recently launched a new project called "Project Loon". The task of this project is to launch a giant air balloon to the stratosphere Earth, which will allows Google to provide free Internet access around the world. The project's goal is to erode the Internet gap 4.8 billion inhabitants of the earth.

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About 2/3 of the population on the Earth does not have Internet access. Loon Project's mission is to help connect with everyone from the world through the Internet. 

However, Loon Project is still in the experimental stage. "Developed by a dedicated team of Google X lab, if successful, will save costs", according to Google.

Google claimed "Project Loon use air balloons as a 'transmitter' Internet connection in the air. People who are in the land use 'sky connection' to connect to the Internet. Users only need a small antenna to catch the signal, which is then connected to the computer".

"I'm absolutely amazed," said Professor Jean Fleming from Otago University's Centre for Science Communication. "I'm boggled by the audacity of it, in a good way."

Fleming said most people would welcome Project Loon, even though some would be concerned about possible abuses of the technology. "There'll be a whole lot of people asking questions about surveillance."

Fleming said: "Christchurch's experience with the 2011 earthquake made it a fitting place to launch the project," which Google believes balloon access could help places suffering natural disasters get quickly back online.

Tania Gilchrist, a resident who signed up for the Google trial, feels lucky she lost her power for only about 10 hours on the day of the quake.

"After the initial upheaval, the Internet really came into play," she said. "It was how people coordinated relief efforts and let people know how to get in touch with agencies. It was really, really effective and it wasn't necessarily driven by the authorities."