Facebook has decided to buy drone maker Titan Aerospace for about $60 million in its goal of bring Internet access to the 5 billion or more people who do not have it.
Titan Aerospace builds solar-powered high-altitude drones that can stay airborne for up to five years without having to land, according to CNET.
Facebook is the primary backer of the Internet.org Initiative, a team of mobile technology companies working together to provide Internet access worldwide. With the help of the New Mexico-based company, Facebook is looking to start this objective with Africa. Facebook plans to build 11,000 of these drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), focusing on models such as the "Solara 60", TechCrunch reported.
Titan Aerospace was founded in 2012 by Max Yaney as a way to produce "atmosats", new types of UAVs that can complete the objectives of near-Earth satellites at a much lower cost, according to TechCrunch. The company is currently owned by CEO Vern Raburn, who had previously founded the company Eclipse Aviation.
Titan Aerospace said the Solara 60, a featherweight aircraft made from composite materials, is able to maintain an altitude of 65,000 feet for years without the need to refuel, CNET reported. The Solara 60 is able to achieve this feat due to being powered by thousands of solar cells.
While the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration does not allow the commercial use of drones, they are expected to reveal new guidelines by the end of 2015, according to NBC News. Facebook is not the only major company in the U.S. that has been looking into the use of drones, as companies such as Amazon and FedEx have been hoping to use the technology for their business.
The airspace that the FAA regulates in the U.S. Class A airspace ends at 60,000 feet stateside, and Facebook and Titan Aerospace are looking to position the drones above that limit, TechCrunch reported. These limits may pose a problem for the Internet.org Initiative, although airspace laws are different in other parts of the world.
