Responding to Disaster: Lessons from Telecommunications Service in Peru

Peru’s internet infrastructure is highly susceptible to natural disasters and remains nonexistent in some parts of the country—specifically parts of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Through a public-private partnership between the government of Peru and Loon, an Alphabet Inc. subsidiary company that provides High-altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) in the form of balloons, previously unserved areas were provided with internet access, and critical information was shared through restored connectivity in the wake of several large-scale natural disasters. While Loon’s operation in Peru did not achieve commercial success, and the company shut down in January 2021, this case study analyzes how Loon provided internet connectivity to hard-to-reach populations in Peru. It also explores how private-public partnerships can provide affordable commercial internet access around the world.