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Facebook Takes To The Skies

"Oh look, look it's an alien spaceship!!"
"No don't be silly, it's just a WiFi drone."

Are these the sort of conversations we will be having in the future? A world where everyone has access to the internet and WiFi drones are spotted as regularly as planes? Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, would very much hope so.

After introducing an app that would provide free internet to people in Zambia, Mark Zuckerberg has revealed some exciting details about the WiFi drone technology Facebook are working on. Their app, internet.org, has already been a  huge success and the number of people using the mobile phone app has doubled, providing three million new people with internet access.

Facebook does not want to stop there, and the internet drones they are developing could provide internet access to individuals in the most remote areas of the globe. In our Western world where the internet and social media dominate most of our interactions, it's quite easy to forget that not everyone has access to Facebook whenever they want to. In 2014, only 39% of the world population, less than half has access to the internet. That means that 61% of the world population could potentially start using Facebook if these drones work.

Facebook still has far to go before it can "beam internet to people in the sky", these WiFi drones won't be available till at least 2017 or 2019, and there are still some problems to be solved. Facebook intends to place these drones at an altitude of 60,000 and 90,000 feet. This airspace is currently not being used, and so there are no laws or rules, but this could change in the next few years. Facebook would have to adapt quickly and may not be able to launch as many drones as it would like.

With Google also working on a similar project but with balloons called 'Project Loon', the WiFi drones might have a serious competitor. Google is further ahead in their development and the technology has already been tested in New Zealand. Only time will tell which project will be the most successful but both are a great start to providing free internet to the world.


Laura is a recent graduate from University of East Anglia in Film and Television Studies, currently interning as a content writer but hoping to one day live off her writing. Follow her @LauraAtSMF.

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Free WiFi For All Reviewed by Anonymous on Friday, September 26, 2014 Rating: 5
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