Facebook has unveiled its Connectivity Lab, a team which will be working on new aerospace and communication technologies to advance the mission of improving and extending internet access as part of the companys Internet.org initiative.

The Lab is currently working with drones, satellites and lasers in order to deliver internet access. In the official statement, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said:

“Weve made good progress so far. Over the past year, our work in the Philippines and Paraguay alone has doubled the number of people using mobile data with the operators weve partnered with, helping 3m new people access the internet.

“Were going to continue building these partnerships, but connecting the whole world will require inventing new technology too. Thats what our Connectivity Lab focuses on, and theres a lot more exciting work to do here.”

The news is particularly interesting in the light of recent rumours that Facebook is in talks to acquire drone manufacturer Titan Aerospace, and in comparison to Googles similar Project Loon plans, which will see it deploying high-altitude balloons to bring internet connectivity to developing markets.