Facebook is planning to make internet service around the world cheaper. One of its latest methods is a robot designed to install fiber cables on traditional power lines. Facebook calls the robot Bombyx.
Bombyx means ‘silkworm’ in Latin. It also refers to a slim fiber-optic cable inside the robot’s body. The robot installs the fiber cables by crawling along power lines and weaving the slim fiber cables around the wires in place. It elevates itself when it gets to a pole and then continues the fiber installation.
According to Facebook, this method will ‘dramatically lower’ the cost of fiber deployment as it uses existing electrical infrastructure. The social media giant says if the cost of installation reduces, the cost of service will also reduce for end users.
Also read:
– Facebook SDK Behind Tinder, Spotify And Other iOS Apps’ Crash
– Why Is Your Internet Connection Bad When It Rains? – See Answers Here
– Facebook And Instagram Will Now Remind You To Wear Your Face Masks
Facebook plans to launch a pilot program with partners in 2021. Its plan is to let the partners manufacture and sell it the robot.
Karthik Yogeeswaran, a wireless systems engineer in Facebook’s connectivity group which is the team designing Bombyx, told CNET in an interview that about 80% of those living where 3G or better networks are available still aren’t online because they can’t afford it.
“Half the world’s population is not connected. Fiber has orders of magnitude more bandwidth than basically any other technology. We want to allow abundance so that more people can get more data,” he said.
Bombyx is not the first attempt on the part of Facebook to make internet access cheaper. In 2018, it cut short a program aimed at building solar-powered drones that would use lasers to beam the internet to remote areas. In 2017, it entered a partnership with Tizeti in Nigeria to provide hi-speed internet across the country.
The pandemic highlights the need for fast internet across the globe as millions have to work remotely until it is safe again to gather in large groups. If it works out, Bombyx was destined for a time such as this.
For your daily dose of tech, lifestyle, and trending content, make sure to follow Plat4om on Twitter @Plat4omLive, on Instagram @Plat4om, on LinkedIn at Plat4om, and on Facebook at Plat4om. You can also email us at info@plat4om.com and join our channel on Telegram at Plat4om. Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE.