Drones and giant lasers aren't the only ways to bring Internet access to every corner of the Earth. Facebook today announced that it is also working on a far less expensive method: a shoebox-sized cellular access point that is virtually indestructible and can support everything from 2G to LTE.

Called OpenCellular, the project is currently in its very early stages. Facebook says it has only used the box at its headquarters to send and receive SMS messages, make voice calls, and get basic data connectivity using 2G. But CEO Mark Zuckerberg sees it as a key component in his company's drive to connect the unconnected.

"We designed OpenCellular as an open system so anyone—from telecom operators to researchers to entrepreneurs—can build and operate wireless networks in remote places," he posted on Facebook. "It's about the size of a shoe box and can support up to 1,500 people from as far as 10 kilometers away.

"Along with our solar-powered aircraft Aquila and high-bandwidth laser beams, OpenCellular is the next step on our journey to provide better, more affordable connectivity to bring the world closer together."

The box's processor and radio are designed to be powered from whatever source an installation site has available, including Power-over-ethernet, solar, direct current, or external and internal batteries. Its software is an open-source platform that Facebook plans to release publicly this summer, and hopes that community support will help improve it.

"With OpenCellular, we want to develop affordable new technology that can expand capacity and make it more cost-effective for operators to deploy networks in places where coverage is scarce," according to a Facebook blog post. "By open-sourcing the hardware and software designs for this technology, we expect costs to decrease for operators and to make it accessible to new participants."