from the well-you've-got-to-start-somewhere dept.
The company announced the Internet.org app on Thursday, a way for people in developing countries to use free data and access Facebook, Google search and other online resources. Through a partnership with telecom provider Airtel, the Internet.org app will be available for free, initially rolling out in Zambia.
Facebook plans to connect the world by deploying things like satellites and drones to power data connectivity in countries like Zambia, and partner with mobile operators like Airtel to provide free services.
This data doesn't cost Facebook a dime, because Airtel pays for its users' free access. This partnership works for both companies if people can use Facebook for free, they'll likely sign up for an account to stay connected to friends and family, and, when Internet.org users are ready to leave the confines of the free data, Airtel will be able to get more people to pay for it.
If users go outside of the 13 different free websites (listed in the link) -- say, by clicking on a link in a Facebook post -- they'll be notified that data charges will apply.
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Facebook has announced the Internet.org Platform, "an open program for developers to easily create services that integrate with Internet.org." The partnership is designed to deliver affordable Internet access to the developing world. However the initiative has been criticized for violating net neutrality:
Facebook says it will allow more websites and other online services to join its "free mobile data" Internet.org scheme.
The announcement follows a backlash against the initiative. Opponents suggest it compromises the principles of net neutrality, because it favours access to some sites and apps over others.
But Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg said it was "not sustainable to offer the whole internet for free". "It costs tens of billions of dollars every year to run the internet, and no operator could afford this if everything were free," he said in an online video posted to Internet.org's website.
Also discussed at TechCrunch, Ars Technica, Gizmodo, and Quartz.
Previously:
Internet Access in Developing World With Drones
Facebook's Internet.org - "Internet-For-Everyone" - Launches in Zambia
India Debates Net Neutrality
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Adamsjas on Sunday August 03 2014, @08:48AM
I remember a discussion about some companies paying their way onto ISPs where they were trying to make the web like TV channels, buy a package of channels for dirt cheap.
I think it was this article: https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/07/31/1329207 [soylentnews.org]
About sprints sad 12 dollar facebook only plan.
So now they are going to try it on on those third world nations? Somebody needs to kill facebook somehow.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Bot on Sunday August 03 2014, @09:33AM
I guess that the only way to have real internet is to make or join a mesh network, with blackjack and hookers. The mere fact that the connections are still asymmetric tells a lot about user's planned come ad a consumer. Tech will make this easy, laws will make this difficult.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by ticho on Sunday August 03 2014, @11:06PM
I agree, it's a bad approach. Facebook is basically bringing up new, docile eyeballs which will know nothing more than the few "sanctified" websites. Because let's face it, most of the users there won't be paying extra for full Internet access.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 03 2014, @05:23PM
3 years ago someone built a tcp-over-chat [ycombinator.com] at the facebook hackathon. But their github repository is 404 now.
I would totally donate some of my bandwidth to be a gateway for people in Zambia using something like that to break out of the commercial sandbox.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by kaszz on Sunday August 03 2014, @11:31PM
Sounds like a fitting description "commercial sandbox" or perhaps "awareness prison".
IP over just anything ain't that hard, really. Use packet filtering driver and IP-raw to get the packets. And then compress (zip?) and encode (base64?). Have the bot(s) to just idle until they see a packet and then forward it. The harder part is if the administrators starts to chase these things. Otoh.. lorem ipsum provides a hint to beat that.
Giving internet to more people is likely to be a benefit. Channeling them into a conformative corporate dictatorship will have them brainwashed.
(Score: 1) by suxen on Monday August 04 2014, @03:38AM
Forgive me for getting all mathematical, but two of the websites listed are facebook and facebook messenger which are the same site.
That fact notwithstanding, there are still only 12 sites in the list, while the text and article summary promise 13.