Facebook grounded Project Aquila in 2018, an bold plan by the social media network to apply large solar-powered drones to beam down net connectivity to regions that lacked the necessary infrastructure. However, a brand new report suggests the social media massive has joined arms with aeronautics massive Airbus to check similar drones in Australia.
As consistent with a report acquired by way of German booklet NetzPolitik, the 2 groups spent a good part of 2018 negotiating a collaboration with check flights scheduled for November and December 2018.
While each companies have stayed mum on confirming the document up to now, Facebook is thought to have used Airbus’ Zephyr solar-powered drones for the check. A drone better recognised for formerly being utilized by Airbus for humanitarian useful resource-associated paintings.
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The document fails to throw mild on what the consequences or results of the noted exams were, however what we do realize is that Facebook was the use of a version of the Zephyr much like its Aquila drone blueprint. This does make experience as Airbus’ Zephyr S is likewise a High Altitude Platform System (HAPS), just what Facebook had in plan with Aquila.
According to a document by way of TechCrunch, the version S model chosen via Facebook function a 25-meter wingspan and may perform at up to an altitude of 20 km to use millimetre-wave radio to broadcast to the ground. Using sun power, the drone can remain in flight for months at a stretch.
“We retain to paintings with partners on High Altitude Platform System (HAPS) connectivity. We don’t have similarly details to share at the moment,” a Facebook spokesperson did inform NetzPolitik.
Facebook has a number of tasks which can be geared toward increasing internet get right of entry to, especially in developing areas which includes Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The drone tasks can be one among its more adventurous actions, but the social media giant has attempted software options as nicely, through the years.
One such opportunity become the controversial Internet.Org mission that become added to India. Better known as Free Basics, the venture was outlawed in India because Facebook wanted to premediate the websites and apps that would be used, as a result violating internet neutrality. Source
