Wireless communications startup repurposes technology from Google’s balloon internet project

Aalyria won an $8 million deal from the Protection Innovation Device to prototype a hybrid communications network

WASHINGTON — Aalyria Technologies, a startup that emerged from stealth mode Sept. 13, options to present substantial-velocity net applying application and networking technological know-how from Google’s ill-fated project to beam online services from significant-altitude balloons.

Founded by previous U.S. Maritime and defense business executive Chris Taylor, Aalyria is repurposing Google’s networking program but is not making use of balloons. Its intention is to supply significant-pace communications that extend from land to sea, air and place.

Aalyria advisor and previous Google vice president Milo Medin said the company’s application and optical community technological know-how “marries floor-based mostly fiber with house, wireless, and optical hyperlinks to generate a survivable on-demand community infrastructure.” He explained this eyesight supports the two military and professional requirements.

In a news launch Sept. 13, Aalyria unveiled it received an $8 million deal from the Defense Innovation Unit to prototype a network for DIU’s hybrid area architecture system that seeks to deliver world-wide-web connectivity employing each business and authorities satellites deployed in diverse orbits.

DIU had initially confirmed curiosity in Google’s Loon system, launched in 2014 and shut down in 2021. The notion of connecting networks from distinct domains appeals to the Defense Office as it looks to link programs in a joint command-and-control architecture. 

“Aalyria delivers with each other two technologies originally made at Alphabet as element of its wireless connectivity endeavours: atmospheric laser communications know-how and a computer software platform for orchestrating networks across land, sea, air, space and outside of,” the business said. It is backed by Silicon Valley traders which includes the founders of Accel, J2 Ventures and Housatonic.

The company hired former executives and technological gurus from Google, Amazon, Meta, NASA, Cisco, Lawrence Livermore Countrywide Laboratory and Lockheed Martin. Its advisory board consists of previous DoD and civil governing administration officials. 

The combination of Aalyria’s community orchestration technologies and laser communications, the business reported, could support communications networks with up to 15 million feasible back links. 

A program platform referred to as Spacetime was designed to manage networks of floor stations, aircraft, satellites, ships and urban meshes, and to be appropriate with legacy network architectures. 

The laser communications technological innovation, called Tightbeam, would move information in room and by means of the environment, “offering connectivity wherever no supporting infrastructure exists,” said Aalyria. 

“These systems set the new typical for intelligently orchestrating, running, and extending mesh networks across all domains — land, sea, air, and space — to make connectivity everywhere you go, no issue the protocol,” claimed Taylor, the company’s CEO.

Aalyria explained it is working with commercial area providers and governments “to make their networks extra resilient, and make their spectrum far more financially rewarding.”