It turn out that Facebook ’s onetime program to make huge drones that would relay wireless electronic connection to voice of the world without far-flung admission to high - focal ratio net , Project Aquila , is n’t the only odd method acting the company has explored in its quest towards world due east - domination . According to arecent written report in Business Insider(paywalled ) , Facebook worked on a since - canceled labor titled “ Catalina ” that would use much modest lagger to facilitate hike wireless speeds .
A reservoir tell the situation Catalina “ began in late 2017 or in the first place ” and continued past end of Aquila in June 2018 . Named after Santa Catalina Island , a land mass off the coast of California that at one percentage point used pigeons for communicating with the mainland , the projection entailed fixed - wing drone “ closer in size to a hedge sparrow than an eagle ” that would practice high - density solid - Department of State thrust to ferry datum to exploiter who might find it prohibitively time - consuming to stream it over slow connections . Business Insider wrote :
Facebook recently research building birdie - size lagger loaded with data to aid meliorate multitude ’s internet joining .
The Menlo Park , California - headquartered technology hulk puzzle out on a far - out project , call Catalina , in recent old age that aimed to ramp up diminutive fixed - annexe aircraft capable of ferrying mass medium to community to augment slow net connection like 2 yard , Business Insider has learned .
… Facebook had project to first test it with content for its essence apps like Messenger and to finally expand the airborne serve to third - party apps like YouTube and Netflix — an meter reading as to how Facebook ’s Connectivity drive act as a vehicle to drive substance abuser growth and engagement on Facebook as much as to meliorate access to other net services .
It ’s not really unclouded from the report how this would have worked — asEngadget mention , the concept appear to imply that the droning would “ relay data between traditional mobile base from afar and people ’s headphone , ” while theVerge suggestedthey would act as a mesh topology meshwork . However , the news report is promiscuous on both technical item and how well the projection function , other than that the Facebook team dubbed the droning model a “ pigeonet . ”
The Aquila drone ’s demise come after reports of serious technical problems , withtwoknown testsreportedly resulting in damage during landings . Critics had speculatedwhether the plan was really a good use of Facebook ’s resources , as opposed to more traditional methods of establish out cyberspace infrastructure . While Aquila itself was trash , Facebook read it would continue to rivet on the underlying connectivity engineering for potential function on other manufacturer ’s aircraft . Later , it was report to be work on a project to test small , down in the mouth Earth orbit satellites that wouldprovide cyberspace accessto underserved area .
As Business Insider noted , Facebook has used other method to try and dilate into space where internet infrastructure has not yet reach a gamy degree of development , include its Free Basics program volunteer awalled - garden versionof the internet to user , rural wireless access programOpenCellular , and a program called “ Street Feet . ” That one plain implicate come on locals in emerging marketplace like Bangladesh and Tanzania , a reference told Business Insider , and adjudicate to persuade them to create Facebook accounting .
[ Business InsiderviaEngadget ]
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