Meta is shutting down ‘Facebook Connectivity’ or what it later called Meta Connectivity, nearly ten years after launching the initiative. The Connectivity division was aimed at offering free internet in remote parts of the world so that more people could use the company’s social media platforms. The employees from the division will be split between Meta’s “Infra” and “Central Products” teams as part of a general restructuring, according to the Light Reading report.
Facebook Connectivity was launched in 2013 with the goal to develop innovative connection technologies such as solar-powered drones, low-Earth orbit satellites(like Starlink), and fiber-laying robots. Over 300 million people got access to high-speed internet due to the Connectivity division, in 2021. Through this, Meta also provided subsidized internet connections in developing countries and regions with the help of Internet.org.
However, Meta will continue participating in the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), which develops open and disaggregated standards for various telecom technologies. It was founded in 2016. TIP aims to create a new global telecom infrastructure by bringing together telecom firms, service providers, and connectivity stakeholders.
The development comes weeks after Meta fired more than 11,000 employees to cut down the company’s 13 percent workforce. The announcement also said that Meta is set to extend its freeze on new hiring. The company is betting on CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision to build the metaverse. The company expects this money-losing trend to continue in 2023.
