Google and Facebook are investing in next generation mobile infrastructure such as drones and balloons, though not because they want to become network operators, but because they want to accelerate the process of getting internet access, and their services, to everyone on the planet. Google’s activities, over the years, have encompassed metro area WiFi; a flirtation with WiMAX; deployments and trials to advance flexible spectrum usage in white spaces and 3.5 GHz; and many other efforts to break the boundaries of the wireless network and its associated operator model. It has talked about several interesting extensions to these efforts in recent days, including an additional network partner for its US MVNO, Project Fi; the potential integration of wireless into Google…