Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg just revealed his plans to deliver Internet to the developing world via Free Space Optic lasers, low earth satellites, and solar-powered drones. He also said in his post that the project has already helped 3 million people access the internet for the first time in the Philippines and Paraguay. The news comes one month shy of Facebook's recent partnership with solar-powered drone company, Titan Aerospace; which Facebook bought for $60 million. Titan's drones are said to be capable of staying airborne for up to five years.

In Zuckerberg's statement for the premise of these plans, it all comes down to how the Internet brings us together. It not only connects friends, family, and communities all over the world, but it economically empowers them. Finding jobs, getting healthcare, education, and other important services could finally be offered to those in need. Two thirds of the world population doesn't have access to Internet. Although it sounds like a world of science fiction, anywhere, anytime communication is inevitable. With Facebook's plan, new technology that could reduce the cost of connectivity in these remote places is anticipated.

Facebook created Internet.org last year, a coalition of the foremost technologies with one goal in mind, increasing global internet access. This week, Zuckerberg announced the Facebook Connectivity Lab, a department within Internet.org. With its 50 space scientists and aeronautics experts, including engineers and researchers from NASA, the department is exploring the possibilities of delivering access at a cheaper price. These “high altitude, solar-powered, long endurance aircrafts” would be quickly launched, and stay aloft for months at a time. Geosynchronous and low-orbit satellites would be tested as a way to beam connections to the ground in more rural areas. In either case, highly populated areas or scarce, infrared laser beams would transmit the data through space.

Facebook isn't the only company with ambitious Internet plans. Last summer, Google announced arrangements to test gigantic solar balloons that would deliver 3G speeds by traveling the earth's stratosphere for about 100 days at a time. They fly twice as high as airplanes and weather, and have antennas attached to buildings allowing for Internet connection. So far, 30 balloons have launched in New Zealand. “Both companies frame their plans to bring the Internet to the entire world as altruistic, not as a land grab”, says CNN. Although poverty is far more pressing of a concern than internet connectivity in remote areas, having the connections make it easier to set up health care stations, opportunities, as well as other humanitarian resources. Facebook's project also stands to compete with Google's Project Loon.