IPFS News Link • Drones
Facebook wants to use drones to blanket remote regions with Internet
• http://www.dvice.com, Robin Burksitan Aerospace builds inexpensive solar-powered drones that
can fly to near-orbital heights above the Earth’s surface. What makes
their drones perfect for delivering Internet is that they can also stay
in the air for up to five continuous years. Facebook’s plan is to get
11,000 of these drones built and launch them above areas that don’t have
Internet connectivity. These drones would deliver Internet by using
radio repeaters that would transfer signals to a base station receiver.
The
drones, each equipped with its own battery pack, would launch at night
and then begin collecting solar power, giving them energy for flying
higher — over 12 miles above sea level. That power would also feed
communications systems, which would send Internet to the region below it
— perfect for regions with no access. Facebook's drone-emitting
Internet probably won't have blazing fast speeds, as the signals would
be weak, but something is definitely better than nothing.
