Facebook's Laser Drones Could Bring Internet to 5 Billion People
In an effort to reach out to 5 billion people without internet access, Facebook on Thursday said that the company was currently building a 'fleet of drones', which will be capable of beaming high speed data to some of the world's most remote regions.
During the second day of Facebook's F8 conference, the company revealed its plans to use massive sized solar powered drones as part of its Internet.org project.
Codenamed Aquila, the V-Shaped unmanned vehicle will approximately be the same length as a Boeing 767's wingspan but will weigh lesser than a small car.
Facebook is currently spending billions to launch over a 1000 drones that have the ability to beam high speed internet through lasers from a height of 60,000 to 90,000 feet. The solar powered drones can remain in the air for up to 3 months at a time.
Head of Facebook's Connectivity Lab, Yael Maguire said, "We want to serve every person in the world. Can we reach a point where everyone on the planet gets the same message at once? I'm looking forward to that day."
Facebook kick-started its drone project after it acquired UK based drone company Ascenta last year. While the project might take a few years before the drones are ready for full commercial deployment, initial test flights are already being scheduled for this summer.
