TECH

Facebook exchanges solar drone for internet satellites

Although it has put an end to the Aquila project, Facebook has nevertheless had no intention of playing an important role in spreading the Internet in less developed areas. After the solar drone was sent to the garage, the social network now wants to launch an internet satellite, with the goal of "providing broadband access to uncovered or poorly covered regions around the world." According to the company, the project is internally referred to as Athena.It should be remembered that despite having closed the hardware works of the Aquila project, Facebook maintained the teams that dedicated (and dedicate) to the development of software. This new commitment to the mission of bringing the Internet to new regions of the world could benefit from this measure.According to a report published last September, about the current state of the internet, more than half the population of planet Earth is not online yet. One of the solutions proposed by experts is the creation of a network of low-altitude satellites with the ability to send the Internet to potential Internet users who remain out of the network. This is in line with the satellite industry, which is booming strongly thanks to the interest that several companies have in creating Internet satellites. SpaceX, for example, launched its first units last February.To Wired magazine, a Facebook spokesperson said that "while the company has nothing relevant to share about any particular project, the prevailing belief is that satellites will be important facilitators in next-generation internet infrastructures, making the arrival of broadband in rural areas where internet connectivity is weak or non-existent. "Note that Facebook's interest in getting the internet to new locations may also be related to its interest in expanding the user base of the social network, since an increase of this nature will always be linked with the growth of advertising revenue.



Sapo