Tech

Facebook Abandons Internet Drone Project

Back in 2015, Facebook was reported to be testing a drone to deliver Internet to the unconnected populations around the world. It sounded like a novel idea like Google Loon since according to statistics, the majority of people in the world are not Internet users and this is a huge opportunity for them

Published

5 years ago

June 27, 2018

Africa News Watch

Later on, we saw reports of Facebook saying that their Internet drone, Aquila had made a successful maiden flight almost two years ago and it seemed all rosy and all. Well it isn’t all rosy as Facebook is abandoning the project.

Facebook said they have noticed seing companies investing in this technology in the aerospace industry. Previously, the company was involved in the aircraft’s design, development and testing.

“Given these developments, we’ve decided not to design or build our own aircraft any longer and to close our facility in Bridgwater,” Facebook said in the post. The company will from now on work with partners like Airbus on high altitude platform stations (HAPS) connectivity generally and other tech to make this system works.

Facebook is abandoning the building of the aircraft but it will still be involved. They say they are working on a proposal for the 2019 World Radio Conference so that HAPS gets more spectrum for HAPS.

To Facebook’s credit, this was a bold project to connect the 4 billion plus people around the world to the Internet. They could have abandoned it due to rising costs and maybe they have to come up with a more cost effective measure to make sure the tech can be used widely in conjunction with their Internet.org initiative.

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Tech

Nigerian crypto startup, KoinWa launches Web3 education platform for varsity students

Published

15 hours ago

October 3, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian cryptocurrency startup, KoinWa has announced launching a Web3 education platform, EduBlok, with the aim of empowering university students with relevant and beneficial skills.

The CEO of the crypto company, Hakeem Disu, who made the announcement, said the new platform was the firm’s way of contributing to the educational development of Nigerian students through its education arm.

“EduBlok provides users with blockchain education and training, and helps other educational institutions design blockchain and artificial intelligence curricula,” Disu said.

Disu, who is both a trained teacher and author of the e-book “How blockchain is solving real life African problems,” said Edublok, which is funded by KoinWa, had already impacted over 10,000 beneficiaries in university-underserved communities, as well as given out more than 15,000 e-books.

“Blockchain been the next big thing in the technology space, but is not included in the education curriculum of Nigeria,” Disu said.

“EduBlok is looking to solve this problem by designing the academic curriculum and textbooks, and also providing blockchain education and entrepreneurship skills,” he said.

Tech

Nigerian insurtech startup, ETAP partners AIICO to redefine car insurance

Published

2 days ago

October 2, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian insurtech startup, ETAP has entered into a partnership with frontline insurance firm, AIICO Insurance which will make it easier for Nigerians to to buy car insurance and make claims, driving increased penetration of car insurance in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ETAP, Ibraheem Babalola, who announced the partnership with AIICO, said with the new arrangement, buying and claiming on car insurance would be as easy as “taking a picture, providing drivers with access to a range of daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly plans to choose from.”

“We are proud to collaborate with AIICO Insurance on this transformative collaboration,” Babalola said.

“The app’s ability to reward safe driving habits while providing rewards for doing so as well as quick access to insurance purchase and claims payment will undoubtedly empower car owners and encourage responsible behaviour on the roads.

“We invite everyone to download the app from Apple App Store or Google Play Store and experience a new dimension of driving,” he added.

Also commenting on the partnership, Gbenga Ilori, head of retail business of AIICO Insurance, said:

“We are elated to unveil our collaboration with ETAP, marking the inception of a transformative era in car insurance. By harnessing the power of gamification, we are poised to shift perceptions around car ownership and driving in Nigeria.

“This initiative will not only elevate the driving journey but also significantly enhance safety on our roads”.

The ETAP app uses machine learning to build intelligent risk profiles that determine appropriate premiums for each driver, allowing them to achieve lower premiums by driving safely, the company said.

By using advanced telematics, the driving experience is gamified to improve driving behaviour and drivers can earn Safe Driving Points that can be exchanged for shopping vouchers for the most in-demand retail outlets, fuel, cinema and concert tickets, and other exciting experiences, the company added.