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Facebook To Purchase Drones Soon

Marisa Okano |
March 4, 2014 | 4:07 p.m. PST

Executive Producer

@RYOTNews Twitter
@RYOTNews Twitter
Facebook now has plans to purchase a major drone company that will grant Internet access to over 5 billion people across the planet who remain unconnected.

According to tech news site TechCrunch, the social media giant is set to acquire drone manufacturer Titan Aerospace for $60 million. The company specializes in solar-powered drones with the ability to stay airborne for five years.

The business deal will support the Internet.org initiative, a multi-company partnership between Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Facebook that was announced in August. Internet.org is a project that will work to increase global accessibility to the Web via improved data-compression technologies and affordable smartphone technology.

11,000 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be the first devices launched. The models in question are perfect for the support of global Internet connectivity as power is expended from internal battery packs.

“There are huge barriers in developing countries to connecting and joining the knowledge economy. Internet.org brings together a global partnership that will work to overcome these challenges, including making internet access available to those who cannot currently afford it," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a recent paper entitled "Is Connectivity A Human Right?"

Read more about Facebook's plans at TechCrunch.

Follow Executive Producer Marisa Okano on Twitter.



 

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