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Elon Musk has confirmed plans to bring low-cost internet to the masses by releasing hundreds of micro-satellites.

The news follows rumours earlier this week that Musk was planning to launch a swarm of tiny satellites to bring remote parts of the world online.

The SpaceX co-founder today said on Twitter that he is 'still in the early stages of developing micro-satellites,' and promised an official announcement in the next two to three months.

High flyer: The SpaceX co-founder today said on Twitter that he is 'still in the early stages of developing micro-satellites,' and promised an official announcement in the next two to three months

The billionaire entrepreneur is reportedly working with Greg Wyler, a satellite expert and former Google employee.

Mr Wyler was involved with developing Google's bid to get less developed parts of the world online, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

The race is on to connect the two-thirds of the planet without internet access, with Google and Facebook both announcing grand plans to roll out access using satellites, drones and even giant balloons.

Mr Wyler founded WorldVu Satellites, based in the Channel Islands, which controls a large block of radio spectrum and is said to talking to industry executives – along with Mr Musk – about plans to launch around 700 satellites, each weighing just 250lbs (113kg).

The satellites would be half the weight of the smallest kind used at the moment, and the constellation would be 10 times the size of the largest commercial fleet.

Elon Musk (pictured) is setting his sights on satellites and wants to use them to get remote parts of the world online. The billionaire entrepreneur is now exploring ways to create small and cheap satellites in a project that would pit him against Google and Facebook

The duo may build a factory to make the satellites, either in Florida or Colorado.

Any satellites produced would likely be launched by Mr Musk's firm Space X, which has 48 launches planned by 2018. 

Last month, the company won a $2.6 billion (1.6 billion) contract to develop, test and fly 'space taxis' for Nasa, in order to put US astronauts into orbit.

However, there are many obstacles that need to be overcome before the satellites are deemed a success.

They are predicted to cost $1 billion (£600 million) to develop and may be able to be launched until the end of the decade, depending on Space X's schedule.

Mr Musk's involvement in the long-term is not certain and WorldVu risks losing its spectrum in 2030, too.

The company currently controls a block of radio spectrum in the Ku band, communicating in the microwave range of between 12 and 18 GHz.

In June, it was announced that Google is planning on launching a fleet of 180 satellites to provide web access for the 4.8 billion people not yet online.

According to sources close to the company, it plans on spending more than $1 billion (£600 million) on the technology.

Two-thirds of the world still remain without internet access. Google is planning to change this by launching a fleet of 180 satellites to provide web access for the 4.8 billion people not yet online, and now Elon Musk and an ex-Google employee plan to launch around 700 satellites in an even larger project

Mr Wyler was working at Google on the final design of the satellites, which are thought to be small, high-capacity and intended to orbit the Earth at 'lower altitudes than traditional satellites'. 

He only stayed for around one year before leaving to work with Mr Musk.

Sources close to him told The WSJ that Mr Wyler's relationship with Google broke down because he doesn't think Google has the manufacturing experience needed for such a commitment. Google did not comment.

If the ambitious project goes ahead, Mr Musk and Mr Wyler will be competing with established firms such as Sierra Nevada and Britain's Surrey Satellite Technology.

They will also be going head-to-head with Google and Facebook, too. 

Google's Project Loon aims to launch high-altitude balloons to provide broadband service to remote locations below.

The helium-filled balloons are designed to inflate to 49ft (15 metres) in diameter and carry transmitters that could beam 3G-speed internet to remote regions.

It's hoped that it could save developing countries the high cost of laying fibre cables to get online and lead to a dramatic increase in internet access for the likes of Africa and south-east Asia.

In April, the company also acquired Titan Aerospace, which is building solar-powered drones to provide similar connectivity.

Facebook, meanwhile, has its own drone plans. In March, Mark Zuckerberg revealed solar-powered drones, satellites and lasers are all being developed in the firm's labs to deliver the internet to underdeveloped countries.

He has pledged to work on technology to deliver the internet to 'the next three billion people' - and revealed the firm has hired experts in solar power that can keep drones flying for months at a time.

Before Mr Wyler left Google, there were reportedly plans to make small, high-capacity satellites designed to orbit the Earth at 'lower altitudes than traditional satellites'. There is also a project to launch giant balloons to connect remote regions to the internet

The Institution of Engineering and Technology's president, Professor William Webb, said: 'The idea of using aerial platforms to deliver connectivity is one that is many decades old, from low-orbital satellites to balloons and more recently unmanned aerial vehicles.'

'The difficulty has always been one of keeping the aerial platform in the right place in the sky for weeks or months at a low enough cost. As technologies mature we get ever closer to achieving this and Facebook's intervention in this space is a welcome boost to the area.'

Mr Musk and Mr Wyler both want to cut the cost of the technology, not least because WorldVu needs a lot of satellites.

Mr Musk has an enviable track record of reducing the cost of space travel by simplifying the design of rockets and building components in-house and it is hoped he will help to develop satellites that cost under $1 million (£629,008), instead of several million as they do at the moment.

In April, Google acquired Titan Aerospace and is building solar-powered drones to provide connectivity. Facebook has its own drone plans. Mark Zuckerberg said solar-powered drones, satellites and lasers are all being developed in the firm's labs to deliver the internet to underdeveloped countries