Facebook Renews Its Ambitions to Connect the World

Facing heightened scrutiny for its social media policies and relentless quest for growth, Facebook is now turning its attention to getting more people high-speed internet access in hard-to-reach places. The move comes with some irony, as it comes on the heels of Facebook’s own massive outage, which temporarily took down all of the apps in its empire. Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer trumpeted the work of the company’s Connectivity group and revealed plans to connect a billion more people around the globe via high-speed internet. Schroepfer says Facebook is working on a new, 24-fiber transatlantic subsea cable system that will connect Europe to the US; has improved its aboveground, fiber-deploying robot; and has been testing a “last-mile” wireless internet system that delivers gigabit speeds over the air. Facebook is among several tech companies with ambitions of expanding internet access around the world, but many have run into both technical and political obstacles. However, the company is in a uniquely powerful position: In some parts of the world, Facebook is already synonymous with the internet, even if it is not technically an internet service provider. And as its content moderation and targeted advertising practices fall under increasing scrutiny, having its hands in the underlying infrastructure of the internet raises concerns. Some telecom operators and human rights activists have accused the company of building a two-tiered internet that could widen disparities in access.