![]() The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". ![]() These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In short, Drone-delivered Wi-Fi is less about ‘if’, and more about ‘when’. Facebook would be able to build on the achievements of the Solar Impulse 2 – the Swiss-built airplane designed to circumnavigate the world in a single flight – which could theoretically stay airborne indefinitely.įacebook would also be able to take advantage of advances in solar power – such as perovskite solar cells, which are more efficient than traditional silicon cells – as well as the cheaper, larger and better solar cells produced by Elon Musk’s Gigafactory. Solar power is the most obvious solution for this problem. Firstly, their drone would have to be able to fly indefinitely and serve wi-fi, without requiring any direct human intervention or refueling. Of course, Facebook are tackling some major technological challenges with their connectivity project. The Zephyr is also incredibly light, with the Zephyr 7 weighing in around 53 Kilograms.įacebook has also been eagerly hiring aerospace engineers to work on their connectivity aircraft, including experts from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and Ames Research Center. In 2010, the Zephyr 7 flew unaided and unmanned for 336 hours and 22 minutes (around two weeks), at an altitude of 21,562 meters. They were contributors to the development of the Quinetiq Zephyr, the world’s longest flying unmanned aircraft. In March, earlier this year, Facebook acquired them for $20 million dollars, in a move that had many scratching their heads.Īnd yet, placed within the context of Facebook’s plans for providing Internet access for the world, the purchase of Ascenta makes total sense. ![]() Yet, Facebook happens to have a great deal of experience in the UAV field.Īscenta Aerospace is a tiny, UK based drone manufacturer, operating from a farm in the picturesque greenery of Somerset. Plus, the idea of a super-lightweight aircraft that provides free, fast Internet access and doesn’t burn any fossil fuels seems pretty unlikely. In talks with Minister Prasad, Zuckerberg emphasized how satellites and drones could potentially play an important role in providing this connectivity.įacebook isn’t a company one immediately associates with drones. The NOFN program is expected to cost as much as 21,000 crore rupees (around $3.5 billion), with Facebook contributing with funding and technical expertise for last-mile connectivity. In a meeting with Indian technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Zuckerberg agreed to become a partner in the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) program, which aims to connect 250,000 (2.5 lakh) villages to a high-speed broadband network, much like the NBN in Australia. They’ve also been working with governments and institutions to bring about universal Internet access at the highest levels. ![]() ![]() But they’re not totally evil, as their recent investments in the Indian broadband sector shows.įacebook is a member of a group of some of the largest technology firms eager to bring the Internet to as many people around the world as possible. Facebook has been fairly (and unfairly) criticized in the past for its approach to user privacy, and for playing with the emotions of their users. ![]()
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