Facebook Drones Vs. Google Balloons - The Race To Beam Internet From The Sky Intensifies

Deploying Internet to the millions of users via WiFi from the sky has been on the target list for the tech giants Google and Facebook for over an year now. We said hello to Google's Project Loon : Google's Balloon Powered Global Internet last year, when the search giant promised to launch a ring of balloons floating in the sky, about 20 kms above the ground to provide WiFi Internet to the masses. Whereas earlier this year, Facebook Facebook May Acquire Titan Aerospace For Internet-Beaming Drones, the drone manufacturing startup that pushed the company fast into its way to beam internet from the sky via solar-powered flying drones. With the launch of Internet.org, a Facebook initiative in partnership with leading tech companies, it was clear that the company is serious about making basic and affordable internet services available to everyone in the world. Today we know that the company has a road map and is planning to start testing the drones by 2015.


Here's #-Link-Snipped-# from Facebook that details everything they've till date on the progress of Facebook Internet Drones. When it comes to beaming internet from the sky, the techniques & methods being used by the two companies are quite different. So, let's come down to the specs - While Google Loon can last for 100+ days, the Titan Solara 60 has a longevity of 1800+ days. The Google Ballons will fly at an altitude of 60-90,000 ft and cover 485 sq mi, whereas Facebook's flying drones operate at 65,000 ft and have a coverage of 1018 sq mi. Finally, the data service promised by Google's Loon is 3G (>0.1 Gbps), whereas Facebook's Titan drone might offer 1 Gbps internet for all.


That said, Google's Project Loon has some advantages over the drones, when it comes to minimum payload and having a 50 ft wide balloon fly over different nations sounds way better than 120 ft wide wingspan drone. Even then, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg feels that drones overpower balloons owing to their bigger coverage area and increased longevity. Moreover, since Internet.org will be controlling the movement and positioning of the drones with precision, they will have the power to choose which coverage zones it circles and when it flies down for repairs. Meanwhile, Google's Project Loon is doing quite a lot of progress. Check their #-Link-Snipped-# for more details.

Last week at the Social Good Summit in New York, Yael Maquire, Facebook's Engineering Director shared that the unmanned vehicles (drones) will be able to fly for months or years at a stretch without the need to land and will fly at an altitude higher than what's used by other aircrafts currently. Right now 'Facebook Connectivity Labs', the unit dedicated to this work, is working on policy and regulations that don't hamper their plan that is going to have a global impact in the near future

It has been out in the open that connecting the world via internet is one of the fundamental challenges of our time, to empower millions of people with tools and information that can help them access healthcare/education/financial services, find jobs or even start businesses. Check out the 'All of Us' video published by Facebook to connect more and more users to the Internet.org program -

What are your thoughts on beaming Internet from the sky? Which according to you is a better approach - Facebook's winged drones or Google's flying balloons? Share with us in comments below.