Facebook is joining hands with French satellite company Eutelsat to extend internet access to the sub-Saharans regions in Africa. The initiative is a part of Internet.org project, which is the social network’s effort to provide cheaper internet to the developing countries.
Facebook is trying to bring the internet to the whole world, and it’s partnership with Eutelsat and heavy investment in AI technology is a proof that the company is really serious about expanding its franchise. The latest project is aimed to send geostationary satellites over Sahara to bring wireless internet facility the low-access areas in the region.
Under Internet.org project, Facebook and Eutelsat have formed an alliance and set up years long deal with Spacecom, a satellite manufacturer, to use its broadband capacity. Spacecom is making an AMOS-6 satellite, which will be tailored according to the purpose it will serve; to broadcast the internet from space. The satellite is due to launch next year.
According to the latest research carried out by the UN, 57% of the world’s population is not using the internet while 35% of the people in developing countries are deprived of internet either because the lack the service or unaffordable charges. As the costs for both the internet and internet-supporting devices are declining, more people have been able to get online.
The satellite internet project will provide Internet service to large parts of east, west and southern Africa. However, Facebook is not going to stop until everyone is online. In a recent post CEO Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg said that connectivity changes lives and Facebook will continue to spread out the power of web to the entire world ‘even if that means looking beyond our planet.’
It is a fact that there are solid objectives behind every business investment. Facebook will definitely benefit from its satellite internet project, but again, they could have made investments to any other highly profitable deal. So we can be sure at least to some degree their intentions are charitable.
