Facebook has dealt mainly with software till now, but look at all the projects Google has tackled. Self-driving vehicles, fiber Internet service, blanketing cities with wifi, Google Glass, fighting for net neutrality. Google has the talent, bank roll, and ambition to tackle something monumental that spans hardware, deals with regulatory overhead, involves a lot of on-the-ground grunt work, etc.
Apple has the resources to tackle such problems as well but hasn't shown the will to do things like street view or fight for net neutrality, which is probably why people think of Google more than Apple when they think of such problems.