Loading Google maps and places in an ionicframework app

I am building an iPhone app relying on the ionic-framework. The app uses Google maps and Google places. I have written the following angular service that loads the relevant scripts from Google asynchronously. I want to make sure that the app does not break when it starts up and there is no internet connection. I use the method

isLoadedGoogleMaps()

before I invoke any Google maps/places methods.

Could you please suggest any improvements? For instance, it seems that 

( navigator.connection.type === Connection.NONE )

evaluates to false even though there is no internet connection in certain situations. Is there a better way of checking if the app is online?

.factory( 'GoogleMaps', [ '$ionicPlatform', '$window', function ( $ionicPlatform, $window ) {
  var
    // private methods
    loadGoogleMaps,
    initGoogleMaps,
    // public method
    isLoadedGoogleMaps;

  // without defining this callback, the script loaded from Google would use the method document.write
  // but an externally loaded script is not allowed to invoke document.write (observed when testing in browser)
  window.globalGoogleMapsCallback = function () { 
    console.log( 'loaded GoogleMaps asynchronuously' );
    alert( 'loaded GoogleMaps asynchronuously' );
  };

  // Begin private method /loadGoogleMaps/
  loadGoogleMaps = function () {
    var 
      script;

    if ( ( typeof google === 'object' && typeof google.maps === 'object') // Google maps has already been loaded
         ||                                                               // or
         ( navigator.connection.type === Connection.NONE )                // no internet connection
       ) {
      alert( 'loadGoogleMaps exited because ' +  
             'Google Maps: '          + ( typeof google === 'object' && typeof google.maps === 'object') + ', ' +
             'connection type none: ' + ( navigator.connection.type === Connection.NONE )
      );
      return;
    }

    alert( 'loadGoogleMaps is trying to download Google maps' );
    // load script asyncronuously
    script      = document.createElement( 'script' );
    script.type = 'text/javascript';
    script.src  = 'https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?v=3.exp&' + 'libraries=places&' + 'callback=globalGoogleMapsCallback';
    // append to body and not to head
    document.body.appendChild( script );
  };
  // End private method /loadGoogleMaps/

  // Begin private method /initGoogleMaps/
  initGoogleMaps = function () {
    $ionicPlatform.ready( function () {
      // add online event
      $ionicPlatform.on( 'online', function () {
        loadGoogleMaps();
      });

      // load Google Maps at init because there is no initial online event
      loadGoogleMaps();
    });
  };
  // End private method /initGoogleMaps/

  // Begin public method /getGoogleMaps/
  isLoadedGoogleMaps = function () {
    return (typeof google === 'object' && typeof google.maps === 'object');
  };
  // End public method /getGoogleMaps/

  // init service
  initGoogleMaps();

  // expose public methods
  return {
    isLoadedGoogleMaps  : isLoadedGoogleMaps
  };

}])