Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious plan to make the internet inescapable involves drones, infrared lasers, and tons of satellites. The company is working with scientists and aerospace engineers to create a lab that will develop ways to make the internet available to remote and underserved populations.
The "Facebook Connectivity Lab" will bring together NASA employees, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and engineers from the British firm Ascenta, which builds solar-powered drones, to figure out ways to bring the internet to "every person in the world." The plan is to test drones over suburban areas, shoot up satellites over more rural locations, and use the laser beams to make long distance connections even faster, writes CNN.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Political dynasties at war in the PhilippinesUnder the Radar 'Fiercer, nastier, and more personal' rift between Marcos and Duterte factions risks splitting ruling coalition
-
'Without mandatory testing, bird flu will continue circulating at farms across the country'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinksSpeed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
-
DOJ seeks breakup of Google, ChromeSpeed Read The Justice Department aims to force Google to sell off Chrome and make other changes to rectify its illegal search monopoly
-
Racist texts tell Black people in US to prepare for slaverySpeed Read Recipients in at least a dozen states have been told to prepare to 'pick cotton' on slave plantations
-
Australia proposes social media ban before age 16Speed Read Australia proposes social media ban before age 16
-
FTC bans fake online product reviewsSpeed Read The agency will enforce fines of up to $51,744 per violation
-
States sue TikTok over children's mental healthSpeed Read The lawsuit was filed by 13 states and Washington, D.C.
-
Amazon ending 'Just Walk Out' grocery checkoutSpeed Read In its place, the company will let customers scan while they shop with Amazon Dash Cart
-
Justice Department bites Apple with iPhone suitSpeed Read The lawsuit alleges that the tech company monopolized the smartphone industry
-
House votes to force TikTok to sell or face US banspeed read The House passed a bill to ban TikTok on national security grounds unless it sells to a non-Chinese company
