Facebook Launches Free Mobile Internet Service In India
Internet.org, with motto 'Internet for All', named after a project developed by the world’s biggest social network site Facebook to expand Internet access to "the next 5 billion people" around the world who currently don't have it.
Facebook has tied up with India's Reliance Communications in an effort to provide free Internet services to users on mobile phones, making India the first country in Asia to get Facebook's Internet.org service.
Last year, the founder of the Social Network giant highlighted the future of universal Internet access, the dream that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wants to fulfill — Making Internet access available to everyoneacross the world just like a service as essential as of 911 in the case of an emergency.
Dreams are transforming into Reality!! Facebook’s Internet.org app has launched in India to offer free Internet access to a set of websites for users in seven different circles, including Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Facebook has tied up with India's Reliance Communications in an effort to provide free Internet services to users on mobile phones, making India the first country in Asia to get Facebook's Internet.org service.
The Internet.org Smartphone app will initially provide free Internet access to a total of 38 websites and services. The service will work for both existing and new subscribers of Reliance Communications and will work on both feature phones as well as Android smartphones.
India is not first country to receive the service, Internet.org app has far been available in Colombia and a handful of African countries, including Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania, but now the service is making its way to India’s billion-plus population.
"This is a big step forward in our efforts to connect everyone to the Internet, and to help people share their ideas and creativity with the entire world. We'll continue to improve the experience and roll it out to other parts of the world," Facebook said in a statement.
Most of the services on Internet.org are available in English and six local languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Marathi — and they can be accessed through the dedicated Android app, from the start screen of the Opera Mini mobile Web browser, or from UCWeb’s popular UC Browser app.
The full list of services includes:
- Aaj Tak: News in Hindi
- AccuWeather: Weather information
- amarujala.com: News in Hindi
- AP Speaks: Engage with local government
- Babajob: Search for jobs
- BabyCenter & MAMA: Learn about pregnancy and childcare
- BBC News
- Bing Search Cleartrip: Check train and flight schedules & buy tickets
- Daily Bhaskar: Read local news
- Dictionary.com
- ESPN Cricinfo: Cricket updates
- Facts for Life: Health and hygiene information
- Girl Effect: Articles and tips for girls
- HungamaPlay: Music
- IBNLive: News
- iLearn: Learn from Women Entrepreneurs
- India Today: Local news
- Internet Basics
- Jagran: Local news
- Jagran Josh: Education and career information
- Maalai Malar: News in Tamil
- Maharashtra Times: News in Marathi
- Malaria No More: Malaria information
- manoramanews.com: Local news
- Messenger: Send messages to friends and family
- NDTV: Read news
- Newshunt: Read news in English
- OLX: Buy and sell products and services
- Reliance Astrology: Read your horoscope
- Reuters Market Lite: Get farming and crop information
- Socialblood: Register to donate blood
- Times of India: Read news
- TimesJobs: Search for jobs
- Translator: Translate words and phrases
- Wikipedia: Find information
- wikiHow: Find information
On the whole, it is reasonable to expect that giving poor people access to Internet and possibility of connecting with people anywhere around the world will be socially transforming the life in a very positive way.
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