MIT Technology Review Narrated Stratospheric internet could finally start taking off this year
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Feb 18, 2026 High-altitude platforms aim to bring internet to over 2 billion people still offline. New steerable airships, UAVs, and solar stratospheric craft plan 2026 trials across Japan and Indonesia. Regulators are preparing airspace rules as companies tout lower costs than satellites and fast disaster response. Industry debates durability, bandwidth limits, and whether HAPs can truly compete with LEO constellations.
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Loon's Drift Problem Killed The Project
- Google's Loon used high-altitude balloons but failed because they drifted and required constant replacement.
- The project closed in 2021 but motivated continued innovation in different HAP designs.
New Designs Solve Station-Keeping
- New HAPs use steerable airships and fixed-wing UAVs to solve Loon's station-keeping issues.
- Several companies plan 2026 tests above Japan and Indonesia to validate real-world internet delivery.
Regulators Are Preparing Airspace Rules
- Regulators are preparing for HAPs: the FAA released guidelines for integrating many HAPs into US airspace.
- Formal regulatory attention increases the practicality of large-scale deployments.