Facebook solar plane takes to the skies: Social network completes first test flight of its internet-beaming drone Aquila

Internet access many be taken for granted by many, but some 4 billion people around the world are still missing out with an estimated 1.6 billion of those living in remote areas with no mobile network coverage. Facebook plans to tackle the problem with a range of technologies including its high-altitude solar plane Aquila, which has just completed its first successful test flight. The flight, which has just been confirmed by Facebook, took place on 28 June at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in Yuma, Arizona. Internet access many be taken for granted by many, but some 4 billion people around the world are still missing. The solar-powered aircraft is designed to beam internet access to hundreds of millions of people in hard-to-reach areas around the globe.