Facebook completes test flight of internet-providing drone

Facebook has confirmed that it has reached a second milestone in its attempt to provide internet across the globe through a network of drones. Following news that it is now able to connect the drones with each other and the ground, it has now successfully completed its first test flight of a full-sized drone. The drone, named Aquila, will be solar-powered, flying at an altitude between 60,000 and 90,000 feet. Aquila will fly at a slow speed of 80mph meaning it can remain in the sky, landing only once every three months. 

Facebook Aquila Facebook

Facebook has reached its latest milestone in the bid to provide internet to even the most remote locations of the globe.

Its Connectivity Lab has completed the second full-scale test flight of the firm's Aquila high-altitude aircraft, almost a year since the first, and, more importantly, it made its first safe landing following a crash last year that saw it take severe damage under windy conditions.

Aquila is a solar-powered plane designed to 'beam' connectivity to places that can't support the typical infrastructure needed to provide web connections. When complete, it will be able to circle a region up to 60 miles in diameter, beaming connectivity from an altitude of more than 60,00ft using laser communications and millimetre wave systems. Aquila is designed to be hyper-efficient, so it can fly for up to three months at a time.