Facebook will beam satellite Internet access to Africa in 2016

Facebook’s first satellite will beam Internet to rural Africa starting in 2016

With the exception of a select few locations, most of Africa is is beyond the range of traditional fixed and mobile terrestrial network connections. As result, only about 20 percent of the population is able to connect to the Internet. Facebook hopes to change those statistics with a new project in its Internet.org initiative. As part of this program, Facebook is partnering with French satellite communications provider Eutelsat to beam an Internet connection to remote parts of Africa. “I’m excited to announce our first project to deliver Internet from space,” wrote Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in a Facebook posting.

Facebook is working with Eutelsat to provide Internet access to sub-Saharan portions of Africa via Eutelsat’s new AMOS-6 geostationary satellite, which will cover West, East and Southern Africa. Amazingly, the satellite will deliver affordable broadband Internet using off-the-shelf consumer equipment for connectivity — so it’ll be easy and cheap to build more of these satellites in the future. Eutelsat is setting up a new company in London to oversee its African broadband business, while Facebook will work locally in Africa to deliver Internet service to rural communities. The satellite-based service is expected to go online in mid-2016

The African satellite project is part of Facebook’s broader Internet.org initiative which debuted in 2013. Through Internet.org, Facebook wants to connect the world by providing internet access to developing countries worldwide. When it launched, Internet.org was highly criticized for providing access only to Facebook and a handful of other web sites and services instead of the full, open internet. Available in countries such as India, Indonesia and Bolivia, Internet.org responded to critics by recently expanding its service to include any sites that meet Facebook’s development criteria.

Facebook’s first satellite will beam Internet to rural Africa starting in 2016

Editors' Recommendations

SpaceX Starlink internet could be coming to an airline near you

The best internet speed tests

SpaceX plans to beam its Starlink internet to vehicles, not just homes

SpaceX’s Starlink internet service now has more than 10,000 users

This clever new technique could help us map the ocean floor — from the sky

This is how Google’s internet-serving Loon balloons can float for nearly a year

No cows required: This startup’s lab-grown milk is identical to the real thing

Serial 1 shows why you’d spend $5,000 on an e-bike — and not feel shortchanged

This awesome drone is under $100 at Walmart today

Robotic police officers are slowly being normalized, whether we like it or not

What to expect at CES: Fringe, futuristic, and emerging technology

The best part of CES is missing this year, but there’s a silver lining

Sony built a drone that’s beefy enough to carry an Alpha series DSLR