Google's new Project SkyBender is developing solar-powered drones to beam Internet connectivity from the sky, following its Project Loon that uses high-altitude balloons to deliver web access to rural and remote areas.  The search giant is reportedly testing millimeter wave Internet at Spaceport America in New Mexico. This new tech can transmit data 40 times faster than the 4G long-term evolution (LTE) wireless standard and could power 5G Internet.

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The tech titan is doing experiments at Virgin Galactic's Gateway to Space terminal in the Southwest United States. Radios on the ground are reportedly receiving signals at Spaceport America from multiple drones, according to Phone Arena.  

In the past the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) used military wave tech to develop a new Internet connection for remote U.S. military bases, according to Engadget. Project Mobile Hotspots used drones to deliver a 1 gigabyte-per-second Internet signal to provide soldiers stationed overseas with a reliable and secure Internet signal.  The project took place in 2012.  

Professor Jacques Rudell works at the University of Washington. He told The Guardian that millimeter wave is useful because the current mobile phone spectrum is already full.   

One big drawback of millimeter wave transmission is that its range is much shorter than cellphone signals' range and starts to fade after a short distance. Google is likely trying to solve the technical issue.

Project SkyBender is now using an optionally piloted aircraft (OPA) named Centaur. It also includes a solar-powered drone named Solara 50 built by Google-owned Titan Aerospace.   

The Google Access team that is developing SkyBender is also working on Project Loon. It uses balloons floating around the stratosphere to deliver Internet access.   

Google recently submitted a report to the Federal communications Commission (FCC) claiming that its Project Loon tests cause no threat to humans or the environment, and includes radio transmitters at heights of 75,000 feet, which are within the requirements of test regulations. Several people have complained about fears of exposure to radiation and microwave beams.  

The FCC has given Google permission to test its new solar-powered Internet-beaming system in the state of Mexico until July. The tech giant will likely provide future details and updates about SkyBender.