Aquila: Facebook Shuts Down Internet Delivery Drone Project

Facebook has quietly introduced that it’s going to now not be persevering with with its Aquila venture, an enormous drone designed to fly at excessive altitude and beam down web connectivity to distant areas.

In a weblog submit written by director of engineering Yael Maguire, the corporate admitted that rising competitors within the house from established aerospace companies meant that Aquila was now not viable.

Maguire said that, “When we [Facebook] started the Aquila program back in 2014, very few companies were involved in this area — and they were all working independently of one other. In addition, the only spectrum available for these platforms wasn’t suitable for broadband due to technical and geographical limitations.”

In 2014, Facebook began from scratch and ploughed vital assets into making the imaginative and prescient of really international connectivity a actuality. Key to that imaginative and prescient was the Aquila drone. Facebook wished to start out contemporary so the design, improvement, and testing befell in Bridgwater within the UK – the bottom of an aerospace firm Facebook acquired as a part of the venture.

“Thanks to their [the Bridgewater team] efforts, we were able to demonstrate that an aircraft of this design was viable — with two successful full-scale test flights, including a textbook landing on “Aquila beach,” mentioned Maguire.

Read extra: Facebook Completes Successful Flight of Aquila Drone

Where did all of it go fallacious for Facebook’s drone venture?

“As we’ve worked on these efforts, it’s been exciting to see leading companies in the aerospace industry start investing in this technology too — including the design and construction of new high-altitude aircraft. Given these developments, we’ve decided not to design or build our own aircraft any longer, and to close our facility in Bridgwater,” mentioned Maguire.

It appears as if the social media big determined it was higher off pursuing different technique of bringing connectivity to the lots. Which is honest sufficient, contemplating the numerous related initiatives the corporate is concerned with, together with Terragraph, an enormous community of wi-fi web units.

Facebook is already working with Airbus and different companions within the house.

“Connectivity for everyone, everywhere is one of the great challenges of our generation,” the submit concludes.

“Facebook has already connected nearly 100 million people as a result of our efforts. And we are continuing to invest in developing next-generation technologies like Terragraph, working with partners on new infrastructure builds like our fiber project in Uganda, and supporting entrepreneurs in programs like Express Wi-Fi — all to help connect the 4 billion people who still do not have access to the Internet. We’re excited about what’s next.”