France will contribute its expertise in balloon technology, while Google will assist the space agency with long-term balloon campaigns.

Project Loon is the brainchild of Google X, the company's experimental lab that produces a wide range of futuristic products and services. Project Loon, which is still in its infancy and testing phase, aims to provide Internet access to underserved areas by using balloons. The balloons, which are powered by solar panels, fly at altitudes higher than those reached by commercial airlines and above weather itself. So far, Project Loon balloons, which provide connection speeds fast enough for video streaming, have flown more than 3 million kilometers

The company is under a lot of pressure in Europe, having endured antitrust scrutiny, the European Parliament promoting a Google breakup, the shutting down of Google News in Spain, and difficulties scrubbing information out of search results to comply with the right-to-be-forgotten rule. Partnerships that show a direct benefit to European customers could improve the company's image with politicians and the public.