Facebook to beam internet from 90,000 feet

Facebook said it is ready to begin test flights of a high-altitude drone designed to provide internet access to remote locations of the world.  The Aquila drone has a wingspan on par with that of a Boeing 737 jet; weighs less than a small car; can remain aloft for three months or so, and will beam internet service to the ground from altitudes ranging from 60,000 to 90,000 feet (18,000 to 27,000 meters).

Yael Maguire, the engineering director of the project, told journalists the team had "achieved a significant milestone" with laser communications for high-speed data connections that are faster than most current speeds.

"Our goal is to accelerate the development of a new set of technologies that can drastically change the economics of deploying internet infrastructure," Facebook vice president of global engineering and infrastructure Jay Parikh said.

But he said this would not lead to Facebook becoming an internet operator or carrier.
Aquila drones and using lasers to provide internet connections are the work of a project devoted to finding ways to provide online access to the billions of people in the world who don't yet have it. The lasers are being tested in real-world conditions.

Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg posted a video about Aquila to his page at the social network. The clip logged more than three quarters of a million views by mid-afternoon in California.  Connectivity Lab is part of a Facebook-backed internet.org mission to provide connectivity to people in developing nations.

Facebook said the platform however would be opened to any developer who met certain guidelines. Any apps must use data "very efficiently," and should not include data-intensive services that use considerable bandwidth such as video or high-resolution photos.