Raven Announces Pilot Project with Google

Raven Industries, Inc.

today announced it is involved in a pilot project with Google

designed to provide high-speed wireless Internet accessibility to rural, remote and underserved areas of the world. Google plans to use Raven-designed and developed high-tech balloons as part of its new project for balloon-powered Internet access, Project Loon. Raven Aerostar has been working for several months in close collaboration with Google on the design and development of this technology innovation.  While the program is still in its early stages, a successful trial began this week in New Zealand involving 30 balloons provided by Raven Aerostar providing Internet connectivity to an area covering nearly 10,000 square kilometers. "Raven Aerostar is our balloon design partner and manufacturer of our envelopes," said Mike Cassidy, Project Lead, Google[x].  "They bring to the project decades of expertise in high altitude balloon engineering as well as the latest breakthroughs in super pressure balloon engineering. They also helped us design the flight control system. This system controls the balloon and helps bring it down safely." The balloons are designed to be 60 feet tall and fly at an altitude of 66,000 feet. The teams designed sophisticated technology