Facebook has built a drone that will provide wireless internet access to people in remote locations. Although Google will in the coming weeks, release a balloon Internet, with Sri Lanka as the first stop. But there are those who criticize that such large companies invest in such projects.
The solar-powered drone “Aquila” is as wide as a Boeing 737 and will soar some 30 km meters above the ground, for 90 days at a time. It will unoccupied act like a giant wireless Internet router. According to Facebook’s press release of today will be able to assist with network speeds up to 10 gigabits.
– Our mission is to everyone around the world will be connected. It will be a great opportunity for us to motivate the industry to accelerate development, says Facebook’s chief technology officer Jay Parikh in a press release .
Not only Facebook who invests
Project Loon’s a similar project that Google is in. Instead of drones they send out internet balloons. The idea there is to create a more accessible internet for people who would not otherwise get it.
Last week came news that the balloons will be sent out in the coming weeks, and the first country to have access to the balloon is the island nation of Sri Lanka.
Internet a human right
A report from the UN in 2011, it was agreed that access to a free and uncensored Internet is a basic human right. The question is whether Facebook and Google’s project is a kind of right there.
It is a lot of critical voices have been raised in response to the projects. Many believe that the bets are worrying when performed by such great actors. In an interview with Al Jazeera earlier this summer wondering internet developer Aral Balkan on these projects is not just for the companies are promoting their own interests.
– drones and balloons is cool – but what are they used for? Changing the underlying power dynamics or is it again a very small group who exercise power and control over a much larger group?
When Facebook’s drones will start going out is unknown, but it will test it later this year in the US .
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