Facebook Permanently Shuts Down Its Drone-Powered Internet Project

Social media giant Facebook unveiled 'Aquila', a solar-powered internet drone, in August 2015. However on Wednesday Facebook announced that it has abandoned this project, which was planned to deliver internet in remote areas through solar-powered drones 'Aquila' aircraft also called as a high altitude platform station (HAPS) system.

Facebook held "technical and geographical limitations" responsible for its decision to permanently shutdown its dream of building a gigantic, solar-powered plane to blast internet to underserved communities via laser.

In a news post on the company’s coding sub-site, Facebook’s Yael Maguire announced that “we’ve decided not to design or build our own aircraft any longer, and to close our facility in Bridgewater."

"Of course, HAPS connectivity requires more than just an aircraft. We’ve made important progress on some of the other key parts of the system — including setting new records using millimeter-wave (MMW) technology in air-to-ground and point-to-point communication", added Maguire.

Closing the Aquila facility comes with the loss of 16 jobs specific to the development and maintenance of the aircraft, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

Facebook however confirmed that although the company has decided to shutdown Aquila, it will continue to support entrepreneurs in programs like Express Wi-Fi — all to help connect the 4 billion people who still do not have access to the Internet.

The Express Wi-Fi project is actually an integral part of Facebook’s much talked about Internet.org mission. Through this mission, the Mark Zuckerberg led company aims to bring internet connectivity across the whole wide world, especially in the rural pockets.

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In order to make the Express Wifi project a success in India, Facebook is making use of the old cable operator model. Till 2016, Facebook has implemented the model in over a 100 rural villages all across India.

Notably, in 2016 an ET report which quoted Robert Pepper, Facebook’s connectivity public policy director, divulged the fact that the California-based giant was in talks with a number of Indian telcos for the trials of its Aquila drones but then eventually in November 2016, Facebook decided not to bring its unmanned solar-powered drone to the Indian subcontinent.

Moreover, in September 2016, it was unveiled that a team of talented engineers at Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Connectivity Lab have had successfully developed a new optical technology that helps laser beams to deliver fast Internet access to remote areas all around the globe. The company was working on this for last half a year.

Its Official, Facebook Internet Drone Aquila Is Not For India, Says Facebook India Chief

While Facebook has constantly boosted about having a special corner for its Indian users since they form the second-largest user base for the social networking site, but unfortunately this time their action isn't in coherence with their this speech. The Mark Zuckerberg led company has decided not bring its unmanned solar-powered drone, Aquila, to the Indian subcontinent.

Aimed at providing infrastructure for affordable internet connectivity in remote areas all around the world, Aquila could have made substantial difference in India's below-average internet connectivity scenario.

The social networking decision to not bring Aquila to India was recently confirmed by Facebook's India and South Asia managing director, Umang Bedi to a website.

Earlier in the month, India's Aquila dreams were fanned by an ET report which quoted Robert Pepper, Facebook’s connectivity public policy director, divulging the fact that the California-based giant was currently in the midst of talks with a number of Indian telcos for the trials of the drones.

What makes Aquila so interesting to the world is the fact that solar-powered drone's wingspan is wider than a regular Boeing 737 and is capable of staying in the air for up to a whopping 90 days at one go, delivering internet connection in remote areas where fibre connectivity hasn't completely reached yet. The drone has a potential of delivering internet in a 96.5-km radius. Unfortunately, Aquila is currently under investigation in the United States after it recently met with an accident.

Whether or not this investigation has something to do with the project being scrapped for India can only be speculated about, at this moment.

Though Aquila might not be coming to India, Facebook is still looking at a sustainable development effort in the country via one of its new initiatives called the Express Wifi. Though the project is still in early stage pilot, but the social networking giant has already started working with telcos and entrepreneurs.

Express Wifi is going to allow users to purchase internet from local data providers, and according to a leading daily, it has already successfully been offered at 125 rural Wifi hotspots as part of the pilot. As soon as the pilot materialises, we can expect more details on the project.

According to Bedi, not only is India Facebook’s second-largest market, but it is also “the most strategic market” for the company.

Facebook's Express Wifi initiative comes after Facebook’s Free Basics was banned by India's Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) earlier this year for violating the principles of net neutrality. Free Basics pitched to provide some of the websites such as its own absolutely free of cost. But, with the Express Wifi initiative, Facebook will be adhering to all the rules and regulations of the land.

According to Bedi, Facebook's vision for India is to remain a "loved and trusted brand.”

[Top Image: rark.in]