Facebook to provide broadband internet to sub-Saharan Africa via satellite

Facebook has announced a new partnership with French satellite operator Eutelsat to provide broadband internet to sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the Verge, the two companies in a multiyear agreement with satellite communications firm Spacecom, will use the AMOS-6 satellite to deliver internet connections across sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite is expected to start in the second half of 2016.

The announcement will provide a boost to Facebook's Internet.org initiative, which aims to get the world online. The organization has only just begun testing solar-powered drones for providing internet connections to developing countries.

Eutelsat said its satellite partnership with Facebook would allow the users to connect to the web using off-the-shelf hardware

Chris Daniels, VP of Internet.org, said in a statement that Facebook's mission is to connect the world and they believe that satellites will play an important role in addressing the significant barriers that exist in connecting the people of Africa.

He added that they are looking forward to partnering with Eutelsat on this project and investigating new ways to use satellites to connect people in the most remote areas of the world more efficiently.