CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand // Wrinkled and skinny at first, the translucent, jellyfish-shaped balloons hardened into shiny pumpkins as they rose into the blue winter skies above Lake Tekapo, passing the first big test of a lofty goal to get the entire planet online.
The flight, launched by Google last week from a frozen field in the heart of New Zealand's South Island, was the culmination of 18 months' work on what Google calls Project Loon, in recognition of how wacky the idea may sound. Developed in the secretive X lab that came up with a driverless car and web-surfing glasses, the flimsy, helium-filled inflatables beam internet data down to earth as they sail past on the wind.
Still in their experimental stage, the balloons were the first of thousands that Google's leaders eventually hope to launch 20 kilometres into the stratosphere to bridge the gaping digital divide between the world's 4.8 billion unwired people and their 2.2 billion plugged-in counterparts.
If successful, the technology might allow countries to leapfrog the expense of laying fibre cable, dramatically increasing internet usage in places such as Africa and South-east Asia.
"It's a huge moonshot. A really big goal to go after," said the project leader, Mike Cassidy. "The power of the internet is probably one of the most transformative technologies of our time."
The first person to get Google Balloon internet access this week was Charles Nimmo, a farmer and entrepreneur in the small town of Leeston. He found the experience a little bemusing after he was one of 50 locals who signed up to be a tester for the project, which was so secret that no one would explain to them what was happening. Technicians came to the volunteers' homes and attached to the outside walls bright red receivers the size of basketballs and resembling giant Google map pins.
Mr Nimmo got the internet for about 15 minutes before the balloon transmitting it sailed on past. His first stop on the web was to check out the weather because he wanted to find out if it was an optimal time for "crutching" his sheep, a term that refers to removing the wool around sheep's rear ends.
Mr Nimmo is among the many rural folk, even in developed countries, who cannot get broadband access. After ditching his dial-up four years ago in favour of satellite internet service, he has found himself stuck with bills that sometimes exceed Dh3,670 in a single month.
"It's been weird," Mr Nimmo said. "But it's been exciting to be part of something new."