Facebook will launch a satellite that will provide Internet access to remote parts of Africa, founder Mark Zuckerberg announced .
In collaboration with French satellite operator Eutelsat, Facebook hopes to have the first satellite in orbit in 2016!
" We will continue to work to connect the whole world – even if that means we have to look beyond our planet, " Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on his social network page.
The project is part of the Internet.org , which has come under intense criticism in some countries. In India in particular, businesses have reacted angrily to the plans, saying it gives the popular company and its partners an unfair advantage in growing Internet markets.
Internet.org is experimenting with different ways to provide internet access to hard-to-reach places. Recently, the company announced exactly how it intended to use custom-built to improve connectivity.
This latest initiative looks set to use existing satellite technology to provide affordable Internet access.
In a statement Eutelsatsaid that users on the ground will be able to use “off the shelf” products to access the service when it launches in 2016.
Other companies already provide internet via satellite, but their services are overpriced and expensive, which would not be affordable and applicable in the developing world.
