We've known for a few months now that Facebook wants to beam wireless internet access to unconnected parts of the world using solar-powered, laser-equipped drones. But now one of the leaders of the project has revealed more mind-boggling details, including the fact that Facebook envisions drones the size of a Boeing 747 commercial airliner and wants to keep them flying for months, even years, at a time.
As Yael Maguire, the engineering director at Facebook's Connectivity Lab, said in an interview at Mashable's Social Good Summit on Monday: "In order for us to fly these planes — unmanned planes that have to fly for months, or perhaps years at a time — we actually have to fly above the weather, above all airspace." Maguire also further said that the drones should be thought of as planes because they will be "roughly the size of a commercial aircraft, like a 747." He later compared one drone design in Facebook's lab to the length of "six or seven [Toyota] Priuses" but said it only weighs as much as four of the car's tires.
It's unclear just where and when Facebook will be launching its first internet connectivity drones. Maguire said that he hopes the will be able to test one in the US in 2015. India and 21 additional countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are being looked at. It's also unclear just how Facebook will be able to comply with the various aircraft restrictions in any of these countries.
Facebook is working on bringing internet connectivity, and of course, its namesake social network, to developing countries through its Internet.org nonprofit organization launched last year (it already launched an app to provide basic web services over cellular in Zambia). It's also recruited Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung for that effort, but a spokesperson for Facebook said that the company wasn't working with others on its drone project. Meanwhile, Google is also separately pursuing wireless internet using drones and balloons through Project Loon, but has only performed a few tests of its systems so far. For now, the idea of beaming a useful, reliable internet connection to people from an unmanned aircraft an ambitious blue-sky proposal.
Comments
What’s the advantage of having a plane beam internet to the ground below versus a relatively stationary object like a balloon? It sounds like excess air traffic and a chance of signal dropping for users.
By RG7 on 09.24.14 1:34pm
They could just hover up there. We don’t know for sure yet as details about that haven’t been revealed have they?
By Edjumucation on 09.24.14 1:47pm
No way they have enough power to hover for years. It’s a lot easier to fly for 3 years and to hover in place for 3 years.
By MatchstickMan23 on 09.24.14 1:50pm
Then there is your answer.
By Edjumucation on 09.24.14 1:52pm
Sorry, I meant a powered hover (like a quad copter or helicopter). Like the original comment stated, a stationary balloon could stay in a hover for a long while. Not to mention being cheaper and having a smaller footprint.
By MatchstickMan23 on 09.24.14 1:57pm
Can it avoid storms?
By Weapon on 09.24.14 2:05pm
I imagine these would be fair high altitude applications. Storms shouldn’t be that big an issue.
By MatchstickMan23 on 09.24.14 2:09pm
The article above quotes a Facebook engineer suggesting they would be designed "to fly above the weather, above all airspace" – however that would work. I assume they have some idea what they are talking about.
By berkenmeister on 09.24.14 3:17pm
Why don’t they just use satellites? Is it a cost thing or are they just wanted to do something new?
By Akaleus on 09.25.14 11:02am
It might be quite uncontested/uncongested airspace?
By AFridge on 09.25.14 11:08am
How would you keep a balloon at a predictable location for years on end, especially at such altitudes? I imagine they would slowly drift away. I know of researchers using balloons to carry cosmic ray detectors in the air currents near the south pole, since these currents are very predictable and will carry the balloon in a nice circle, and it will end up in its original location (more or less).
But since balloons aren’t steerable and simply drift in air currents, I imagine the drones offer much better and more predictable network coverage for this particular application.
By tjwb84 on 09.24.14 2:36pm
Couldn’t they be above most of the air currents? That would keep them at a relatively stable position.
By MatchstickMan23 on 09.24.14 2:38pm
I tried to find some information on wind speeds versus altitude and found this (not sure how good it is, I’m sure better references are out there):
http://image.sciencenet.cn/album/201209/17/112131vv79cio3yuy3u94u.jpg
As you can see it’s not as if the weather/wind just ‘stops’ at some altitude (at least while there is still air to fly or hover in!) I cannot imagine there is any spot above 10 km altitude where the wind speed is permanently zero. To keep a balloon in a stationary spot that high for years, it would steel need active systems to control its altitude and position… My guess is, a very light-weight drone with solar panels and efficient, long-lived engines provides much more control and reliability at a similar cost.
By tjwb84 on 09.24.14 2:42pm
Go to http://aviationweather.gov/windtemp — in the Plot Options select Hover, and then feel free to select whatever altitude you want under Data Options. Then hover your mouse over various flags to see their speeds.
By haykinson on 09.24.14 3:36pm
Why thanks, that is an excellent reference :) Looks like non-trivial wind speeds are common at >50,000 feet.
By tjwb84 on 09.24.14 3:53pm
War is on the ground. These are places (generally) that like to fight. (Which ironically contributes to the reasons why they don’t have internet). One of many reasons.
By mwashburn on 09.24.14 4:54pm
I can’t wait to see the design of it. Curious about how will maintenance work? You’d imagine that the elements and general wear and tear would take its toll eventually.
By mattkenefick on 09.24.14 1:34pm
Probably will look like an AWAC glider. A big predator drone, then. Perhaps all that space will provide solar as well
Surely they’ll be sensors all over it to monitor whether a checkup is necessary
By BigRo96 on 09.24.14 1:56pm
What’s a Boeing 474?
By Prof-KOS on 09.24.14 1:44pm
A Boeing 747 from the Bizarro world.
By johnven on 09.24.14 2:06pm
The Chinese knockoff…
By David Billiter on 09.24.14 2:07pm
I totally LOLed at this.
By RF9 on 09.24.14 3:35pm
Good one.
By ho0lee0h on 09.25.14 3:39am
Oh, this is a nice way to congest the skies even more!
By MatchstickMan23 on 09.24.14 1:47pm
Airspace is 3D. It’ll be up at an altitude that it shouldn’t cause an issue. That being said we have a huge space junk problem orbiting Earth because of the same attitude. I almost cringe every time I hear if another "constellation" of satellites being launched.
By RF9 on 09.24.14 3:36pm