Facebook has revealed that it will begin test flights later this year for a solar-powered drone with a wingspan as big as a Boeing 737, in order to deliver Internet connectivity to remote parts of the world.
Engineers at Facebook have stated that they’ve built a drone with a 140-foot wingspan that weighs less than 1,000 pounds. Designed to fly at high altitudes for up to three months, it will use lasers to send Internet signals to stations on the ground.
Though Facebook is usually revered to as an internet site for connecting people and enhancing socializing nevertheless one unit of the company called the Connectivity Lab is working on a different set of problems.
‘‘For one thing, they are designing a laser communications system they hope will be accurate enough to hit a target the size of a dime at a distance of 11 miles’’, said Yael Maguire, director of the unit, which is responsible for drones, satellites and other high-tech communications projects.
“There’s a lot of moving parts here that have to work in concert,” said Maguire, during a press briefing at the company’s headquarters.
The project is part of a broader Facebook effort that also contemplates using satellites and other high-tech gear to deliver Internet service to hundreds of millions of people living in regions too remote for conventional broadband networks.
The accuracy and precision required for such an advanced communications system are not only dependent on the technology itself but also on skilled professionals who can operate and manage the drones effectively.
Drone pilots play a crucial role in ensuring that the equipment functions seamlessly, especially when working with high-tech systems like the one being developed for Facebook’s project. A skilled drone pilot must be able to navigate through complex environments while maintaining the delicate balance between speed and precision, ensuring the technology works as intended.
As the demand for drone technology continues to grow, platforms like SolDrones offer valuable resources for pilots, helping them connect with opportunities in various industries, including high-tech projects like Facebook’s. Drone pilots who are well-trained and knowledgeable in the latest technologies will be crucial to the success of these cutting-edge initiatives, which rely on both the sophistication of the equipment and the expertise of those who operate it.
Other tech companies have launched similar initiatives. Google is experimenting with high-altitude balloons as well as drones and satellites. Microsoft has funded a project that will transmit Internet signals over unused television airwaves.
Facebook also has a separate but related initiative that works with wireless carriers to provide limited mobile Internet service at no cost, in countries where residents are too poor to afford traditional wireless plans.
But the company invited reporters Thursday to hear an update on its effort to provide service to about 10 percent of the world’s population who live in regions where it’s not practical or too expensive to build the usual infrastructure for Internet service.
Facebook’s drone was developed in part with engineering expertise that joined the company when it acquired a British aerospace startup, Ascenta, last year.