Michael Onas I Editor
What effect will the SpaceX rocket fire have on on Facebook’s Internet.org initiative, which is supposed to bring low-cost Internet access to poorly connected areas?
It’ll probably slow those plans at least a little, since the Amos 6 satellite that SpaceX’s rocket was supposed to carry into orbit was meant to play a role in the project. Facebook and French satellite provider Eutelsat were paying a reported $95 million a year to lease bandwidth on the satellite for five years.
Tim Bajarin, tech-industry analyst with Creative Strategies, said Zuckerberg and Facebook can be expected to work on getting another satellite up as soon as possible.
The explosion “won’t have any impact on his goal at all,” Bajarin said. “This is an important part of his vision for providing Internet access around the globe, and while this may set back the timing, it will not derail his plans or vision.”
Facebook is not relying only on satellites to accomplish its goal. It’s also been experimenting with other technology such as Aquila, an unmanned, solar-powered plane that will be used to beam the Internet into remote areas. Facebook completed its first successful Aquila flight in June.
In his post on Facebook following the news of the fire, Mark Zuckerberg who was in Nairobi, Kenya said
“As I’m here in Africa, I’m deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX’s launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent.
Fortunately, we have developed other technologies like Aquila that will connect people as well. We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided.”
