Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has moved a step closer to becoming a flying internet service provider after unveiling Aquila, a high flying long endurance plane. The solar-powered plane will be used to provide basic Internet service to developing parts of the world where the giant social network is aggressively pursuing opportunities for growth.
Design and Operation of the Plane
The V-shaped plane with a wingspan of a Boeing 737 is ready for testing loaded with communication gears while weighing between 880 to 1,000 lbs. Once deployed the plane should be able to provide Internet service for up to 90 days flying above the pathways of aircrafts and even above the weather at about 90,000 feet.
The latest project is part of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) plan to provide Internet access to more than 4 billion people around the world through the internet.org project. The plane should be able to deliver internet access to people living far away from cell towers or fiber optic lines.
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) plans to share the technology with other partners and aircraft manufacturers as well as governments as it looks to expand the service to various parts of the world. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is already running a parallel program dubbed Project Loon that will be used to provide internet access through the use of high-altitude balloons.
High Internet Speed on Offer
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) will deploy lasers on the ground that will locate the dome-shaped, optical head of the plane in the air so that internet connection can be beamed down to the ground. Slower internet connections should be expected whenever it is raining.
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) says it has achieved a significant breakthrough on how the lasers will work in terms of speed and accuracy. The lasers should be able to deliver data at tens of gigabytes per second, much faster than state of the art lasers currently in use at the moment.
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