Update 30th July: Sources tell The Next Web that Google has not signed an agreement to deliver internet to Sri Lanka but has only opened discussions with the country.
Our source tells us that the company has signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” to open discussions but has not agreed to bring Loon to Sri Lanka yet.
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Original story:
Two years on, Google’s Project Loon is getting its first big client: the entire country of Sri Lanka.
Google and the government of Sri Lanka have signed an agreement that will see the internet balloons providing connectivity across the entire country.
Sri Lanka’s IT Minister, Mangala Samaraweera told Lanka Business Online that “As a result of this agreement, the entire Sri Lankan island – every village from Dondra to Point Pedro – will be covered with affordable high speed internet using Google Loon’s balloon technology.”
The agreement marks the first time Project Loon will be widely adopted, outside of small tests providing connectivity to rural New Zealand.
Thanks for the tip, Manoj Ranaweera!