While Facebook has launched many initiatives to foster reliable internet access across the globe, it has yet to find a winner – given that it abandoned its Aquila drone project and its Free Basics platform ran into controversy. Now, the social media giant’s satellite internet team has been acquired by Amazon.
Among competitors such as SpaceX, Facebook’s plan was to deliver internet access via low-orbit satellites – however, the social media giant has confirmed it has handed its development plans and team over to Amazon for an undisclosed sum, where the initiative will now fold into Amazon’s fellow project, Kuiper.
Unlike SpaceX, Amazon has yet to launch any of its satellites into space – though the company has confirmed its plans to launch 3236 such satellites into orbit by 2029, with plans to launch half of its total fleet by 2026.
Last year, Amazon finalised the design of the antenna that end-users would employ to receive internet, and further signed an agreement with the United Launch Alliance to deploy its fleet in low orbit.
It remains to be seen whether Facebook will continue with any other plans in cultivating internet access, or whether the platform will elect to refocus its efforts elsewhere.
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