Facebook has teamed with French communications specialist Eutelsat to beam Internet service to large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
In partnership with Israel's Spacecom, the companies will utilize the "entire broadband payload" on the AMOS-6 satellite, which is slated for launch later this year. Internet service will then be available in the second half of 2016, to relieve "pent-up demand for connectivity" by African users, many of whom are operating on fixed and mobile terrestrial networks.
"Large parts of West, East and Southern Africa" stand to benefit from the satellite-based service, which will be accessible via off-the-shelf equipment. Capacity will be shared between Eutelsat and Facebook, the companies said.
"Facebook's mission is to connect the world and we believe that satellites will play an important role in addressing the significant barriers that exist in connecting the people of Africa," Chris Daniels, vice president of Internet.org, said in a statement.
Internet.org, recently rebranded as Free Basics, is Facebook's effort to provide those in developing countries with free access to basic Web services on affordable smartphones. Teaming up with local providers, the social network gives users access to Wikipedia, job listing sites, select weather, sports, and news outlets, and, naturally, Facebook and Facebook Messenger. Any developer who produces a low-bandwidth app, however, can take part in Free Basics, following a net neutrality battle in India.
Facebook has looked beyond smartphones and apps for Web service, though. Last year it acquired U.K.-based Ascenta, whose five-person team worked on early versions of Zephyr, the longest-flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft. That team designed the Aquila drone, a solar-powered device designed to beam connectivity to areas without Internet, which is now complete and ready for testing.
Rival Google, meanwhile, recently expanded its low-cost Android One smartphone service into Africa, and is working to provide Internet service to underserved areas via its Project Loon balloon program.