Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page Andy Rosen Globe Staff August 20, 2018 Facebook has been working assiduously to solve a vexing problem: How to extend Internet access to areas of the world where connections are unreliable or nonexistent? The tech giant, eager to boost the number of global users for its services, has been studying extreme steps such as using lasers to beam signals to the earth from unmanned drones. Now, a group of engineers from Facebook’s Cambridge office say they have successfully adapted a wireless technology that you might use in your home to serve users on a larger scale. The company said it had helped build a Wi-Fi network big enough to serve about 2,600 people in Arusha, a northeastern city in Tanzania, with a system of Wi-Fi antennae designed to cheaply provide access to parts of the central business district. Access to Facebook and a limited number of company-approved sites is free. Advertisement Chris Marra, a product manager, said the technology can expand the availability of service “anywhere where somebody wants higher reliability and has constraints around either the costs or the physical environment.” Get Talking Points in your inbox: An afternoon recap of the day’s most important business news, delivered weekdays. Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here Facebook’s efforts to expand Internet connectivity are a significant focus of the company’s Kendall Square office, which now has more than… [Read full story]
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