(Newswire.net — September 3, 2016) — The explosion of the SpaceX rocket at Cape Canaveral this week set back Facebook’s plan to deliver the Internet to remote places in Africa, USA Today reports.
Facebook has an ambitious plan to connect the whole world; however, the social network giant is just one company in line of companies in a rush to deliver Internet to Africa via satellite. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket disaster put Zuckerberg’s Internet.org to the back of the line.
“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,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote during his Africa.
Zuckerberg visited Africa to promote Internet connectivity via Facebook’s Internet.org network of satellite, which means the losing one in a explosion couldn’t come in worse time.
In a deal valued $95 million, Internet.org teamed with French satellite company Eutelsat to launch the AMOS-6 satellite which is now gone.
“We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided,” Zuckerberg wrote emphasizing that the organization has developed other technologies that can provide the Internet to a remote locations, such as Aquila.
The Aquila, solar powered drone that beam internet to a remote locations represents Zuckerberg’s almost fanatical commitment to deliver the Internet to every corner of the planet, connecting billions of people, and creating the legacy for which he hopes to be remembered.
“He’s so determined, this is a matter of personal obsession with him,” says David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World.
The idea is noble; however, the altruism may not be the only drive according to some. If Zuckerberg successfully manage to connect the world on the Internet, that means he would have the power to control the provided content.
Due to the internet monopoly race issues the SpaceX explosion is followed by controversy of sabotage, even an alien attack. Officially, the rocked explodes amid technical issues.
Losing the satellite is a large setback in time but not really in budgeting and the commitment of the company to connect the world, said Jan Dawson, chief analyst with Jackdaw Research.
“Given how long the lead times are on rocket launches, I’m guessing this will set back Facebook’s satellite initiative by quite some time, but that’s not going to have a material impact on Facebook’s business, even if it’s disappointing from an Internet.org perspective,” Dawson said.