Facebook’s Unmanned Drone Could Bring Internet to Isolated Areas

Google may be on to something with its Project Loon but Facebook has its own ideas as far as expanding the internet is concerned. The company plans to provide broadband level internet to some of the world’s most remote areas with the help of a large unmanned drone. Fittingly named Aquila (Latin for eagle), the drone was sketched out in the UK by Facebook’s own aerospace team, and it boasts a lightweight carbon fiber frame as well as the wingspan of a Boeing 747 jet.

As far as the range is concerned, Aquila can circle a certain area for up to 90 days at an altitude between 60,000 and 90,000 feet. Naturally, this is all possible thanks to a modern design that relies heavily on solar power. The drone can ensure internet access within a 50-mile radius directly below its location, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at. Experts estimate that about 4 billion people worldwide have no internet access whatsoever because they live in isolated areas without landlines or cell towers. It’s also true that these people probably have bigger problems than the lack of internet connectivity, but Facebook’s efforts could still improve their quality of life, at least by a small margin.

Thank you TechSpot for providing us with this information.