Facebook has begun testing its giant, Internet-beaming drone aircraft, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg says.
Zuckerberg posted a Facebook update Thursday saying that Facebook’s drones, which would fly over remote communities and beam down Internet signals, have taken test flights in the United Kingdom:
Today, I’m excited to share that we’ve successfully completed our first test flight of these aircraft in the UK.
The final design will have a wingspan greater than a Boeing 737 but will weigh less than a car. It will be powered by solar panels on its wings and it will be able to stay at altitudes of more than 60,000 feet for months at a time.
Aircraft like these will help connect the whole world because they can affordably serve the 10% of the world’s population that live in remote communities without existing internet infrastructure.
Facebook isn’t the only company looking to bring the Internet to remote areas with novel technologies — Google’s Project Loon is looking to accomplish the same goal with giant balloons rather than more airplane-like aircraft. While both companies have framed their respective projects as lofty, big-thinking goals, they would also materially benefit from having more Internet-connected humans they could turn into users.
Facebook’s fourth quarter earnings were up 34%, hitting $701 million thanks to strong growth in advertising, particularly on mobile devices.