Facebook is looking to make sure people all around the world can get access to the Internet with a fleet of drones powered by the sun.
The recently announced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which will go by the name Aquila, are still in their initial planning phase, according to Engadget. The machines, which have the wingspan of a Boeing 767, will be designed by Ascenta, a drone maker that Facebook bought last year and serves as the social networking giant's drone design team.
The goal is to have the drones operate in the air for three months straight at altitudes between 60,000 and 90,000 feet while beaming Internet access to people below.
The solar drone gets its name from the eagle in Greek mythology that carries Zeus's thunderbolts for him, Business Insider reported.
There are currently 5 million people that don't have access to the Internet, and Facebook's Internet.org project is aimed at changing that.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed in a post that the company has successfully finished the first test flight of the drones in the U.K., adding that the UAVs "will help connect the whole world because they can affordably serve the 10 percent of the world's population that live in remote communities without existing internet infrastructure."
The company plans on having 1,000 solar drones operate in the Aquila fleet, and is reportedly considering using satellites to beam Internet access in areas that are too remote or uninhabitable for the drones to work in, Engadget reported.
Facebook isn't the only company looking to spread Internet access across the globe, as Google is looking to do the same with high-altitude weather balloons as part of Project Loon.
