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Facebook Inches Closer To Its Goal of Beaming Internet to World's Remotest Places (time.com)

Posted by msmash on from the inching-closer dept.

Facebook has completed a second test of a solar-powered drone -- called Aquila -- designed to bring internet access to remote parts of the world. From a report: Facebook plans to develop a fleet of drones powered by sunlight that will fly for months at a time, communicating with each other through lasers and extending internet connectivity to the ground below. The company called the first test, in June 2016, a success after it flew above the Arizona desert for 1 hour and 36 minutes, three times longer than planned. It later said the drone had also crashed moments before landing and had suffered a damaged wing.

19 comments

  1. This is great and all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But there are still 1.4 billion people in China they can't reach.

    - Angry Hong Konger

    1. Re:This is great and all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But there are still 1.4 billion people in China without money they don't want to reach.

      - Angry Hong Konger

      fypfy

    2. Re:This is great and all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Government censorship isn't their fault.

  2. Zuck is a giant shitbird. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Elon will certainly beat him with satellites.
    Zuckerberk can take that giant black pod in the picture and stick it up his urethra.
    A super shitty conniving brain in that guy. He wants to spread his cancer to the third world.

  3. Can they put up enough drones to block the sun? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They could cure global warming too!

    Isn't this exciting?

    Sure wish they would do something about herpes though...

    1. Re:Can they put up enough drones to block the sun? by Maritz · · Score: 1

      This slashdot, it's a safe space from all that horrible global warming stuff.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  4. Don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would we want to inflict this garbage on more people?

    Hey, want an addictive argument machine that will put al of your brick and mortar businesses out thereof? No? Well why the hell not?

    1. Re:Don't by plopez · · Score: 1

      Because marketing.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  5. "The Internet"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They don't even give current users "The Internet", who honestly believes they'll do it for the rest of the world "for free". Be honest and admit that all they're really offering is Facebook's own walled garden.

    1. Re:"The Internet"? by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Like everything Facebook, the self-interest will be painfully obvious. I expect it'll be a 'log into facebook to access the internet' type setup. Creepy as fuck, as ever.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  6. Internet or FacebookNet? by ukoda · · Score: 1

    Are they really plaining to bring the Internet to remote places, or just an internet probably best called FacebookNet? This is a classic case where the flaw change by many media outlet to rename the Internet as just internet matters. The article does not mention if they going to repeat the questionable behavior they had in previous attempts where the internet they were offering was restricted to Facebook and approved partners.

    1. Re:Internet or FacebookNet? by Alioth · · Score: 1

      As I understand it from previous articles, it's not the internet but Facebook plus a handful of Facebook-approved sites.

      --
      Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
  7. Misleading headline is misleading by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In other words, facebook gonna facebook.

  8. nice marketing move, Facebook by mapkinase · · Score: 1

    Now sod off.

    --
    I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
  9. How I misread the headline by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    "Facebook Inches Closer To Its Goal of Being Internet's Remotest Place"

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  10. Super by kelanos · · Score: 1

    Yes, send the brain-washing signals to the corners of the Earth where people are disenfranchised from the benefits the internet enhances for the rest of us.

    And it's not even worth the trade off for any us, as you can see by the world-upside-down changes that have come over people in the last 20 years. Most everyone is essentially totally insane. The potential of the masses to be free-minded seems permanently destroyed.

  11. It isn't cool anymore by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It seems like kids these days aren't going on facebook. The fad is over, and after the Gen Xers die off there will be nobody left on Facebook.

    Consider Facebook a business that has about 20 years of customers left, with no further growth realistically possible. Not a company I would invest in.

    1. Re:It isn't cool anymore by Maritz · · Score: 1

      I fervently hope you're right. FB and its overt creepy bullshit needs to crash and burn.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  12. How About Beaming to Washington D.C.? by fullback · · Score: 1

    It's about as remote and out of touch as anywhere on Earth?