Facebook is preparing to begin testing its Aquila drone, which will use laser technology to beam internet to remote areas from the sky.
Aquila is a large, high-endurance aircraft designed to fly for up to 90 days autonomously, helping to distribute the internet from altitudes of 60,000 to 90,000 feet. Its wingspan is as long as a Boeing 737, but its weight is hundreds of times less.
A smaller version of the drone had been tested some time ago, and this is the first time a full-size model was ready for testing.
When it rises, it will start sending data via laser. Facebook recently announced a major breakthrough in the technology: they can send tens of gigabits per second to a target as small as a penny from more than 10 miles away. The company says the new technology is about 10 times faster than previous records.
According to TNW, in March 2014, the social network's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to distribute the Internet using drones, and the company announced the new laser technology earlier this month.
According to Facebook, about 10% of people live in areas without internet infrastructure. The company does not intend to create its own internet network, but hopes that its research labs will promote the technological developments needed for other companies to deal with distributing the internet in remote areas.
Watch the video that Facebook prepared for the ambitious project.
Take a look inside Facebook's Connectivity Lab – an important part of our effort to bring connectivity to the billions of people who are unconnected today.
Posted by Facebook Engineering on Thursday, July 30, 2015
