Internet.org

Internet.org is a partnership between social networking services company Meta Platforms and six companies (Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Opera Software, Nokia and Qualcomm) that plans to bring affordable access to selected Internet services to less developed countries by increasing efficiency, and facilitating the development of new business models around the provision of Internet access.[1][2] The app delivering these services was renamed Free Basics in September 2015.[3] As of April 2018, 100 million people were using internet.org.[4]

History

Internet.org was launched on August 20, 2013.[2][12][13] At the time of launch, Facebook's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a ten-page whitepaper he had written elaborating on the vision that asserts that connectivity is a "human right".[14] In the paper, he wrote that Internet.org was a further step in the direction of Facebook's past initiatives, such as Facebook Zero, to improve Internet access for people around the world.

During TechCrunch Disrupt on September 11, 2013 Zuckerberg elaborated further on his vision.[15] TechCrunch compared Internet.org with Google's Project Loon.[2] Zuckerberg also released a video on September 30, 2013 explaining Internet.org's goal of making the Internet 100 times more affordable.[16]

On February 24, 2014, shortly before a keynote presentation by Zuckerberg at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Internet.org unveiled several new projects: an education partnership called SocialEDU with Nokia and local carrier AirTel, edX, and the government in Rwanda; a project with Unilever in India; and a new Internet.org Innovation Lab with Ericsson in its Menlo Park HQ.[17] In the presentation, Zuckerberg says that Facebook's recent acquisition of mobile messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion was closely related to the Internet.org vision.[18][19][20]

In May 2015, Facebook announced the Internet.org Platform, an open program for developers to easily create services that integrate with Internet.org. This was seen by commentators as a response to concerns raised over net neutrality.[21] Participating websites must meet three criteria:[22]

1) Explore the entire internet (so as to give users a taste of the wider Internet and therefore help them see the value of the Internet),

2) Efficiency of data use (so that it would be economical for carriers to allow free access to the websites), and

3) Technical specifications: optimized for browsing on a wide range of devices including smartphones and less sophisticated mobile devices, and should not be dependent on JavaScript or HTTPS.

Satellite development

On March 27, 2014, Facebook announced a connectivity lab as part of the Internet.org initiative, with the goal of bringing the Internet to everybody via drones acquired from the company Ascenta.[23][24][25][26] Connectivity Lab also stated that low-Earth orbit and geosynchronous satellites would be part of the project for establishing internet connectivity in other areas. All three systems would rely on free-space optics, where the signal is sent in a compact bundle of infrared light.[27]

At Mobile World Congress March 2015, Mark Zuckerberg says that the Internet.org initiative was "willing to work" with Project Loon, Google's project to use high-altitude balloons to provide people cheaper Internet access. However, he emphasized that in his view, the real work is in partnering with existing telecommunications companies to improve access and reduce costs for people already within range of a network, which he estimates at over 80% of the population.

Net neutrality criticism in India

The first Internet.org summit was held on 9 October 2014 in New Delhi, India. The primary objective of this summit was to bring together experts, officials and industry leaders to focus on ways to deliver more Internet services for people in languages other than English. Zuckerberg also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about how Facebook and the Indian government can collaborate on Internet.org.[34][35][36][37]

In 2015, after criticism of Internet.org, which has a partnership with Reliance in India, Mark Zuckerberg stated in an article for Hindustan Times that Internet.org and net neutrality can co-exist, and Internet.org will never differentiate between services.[38] His claims were contested by many response articles, including one published in the Hindustan Times.[39][40] In May 2015, the Internet.org Platform, open to participation by any developers meeting specified guidelines, was announced. Some commentators viewed this announcement as a response to the net neutrality concerns expressed.[21] The PMO has expressed displeasure at Facebook's reaction to and handling of TRAI's consultation paper, calling it a crudely majoritarian and orchestrated opinion poll.[41]

An Indian journalist, in his reply to Mark Zuckerberg's article, criticized Internet.org as "being just a Facebook proxy targeting India's poor" as it provides restricted Internet access to Reliance Telecom's subscribers in India.[39] Until April 2015, Internet.org users could access (for free) only a few websites, and Facebook's role as gatekeeper in determining what websites were in that list was criticised for violating net neutrality. In May 2015, Facebook announced that the Free Basics Platform would be opened to websites that met its criteria.[21][42]

In April 2015, some Indian startups started pulling out of Internet.org to protect net neutrality.[43][44][45] The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in January 2016 criticized Facebook for its misleading commercials and astroturfing the Free Basics campaign. TRAI accused Facebook of failing to pass on the four questions in the regulator's consultation paper and also blocking access to TRAI's designated email for feedback on Free Basics.[46][47] On February 8, 2016, TRAI banned the Free Basics service in India based on "Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016" notification.[7][48] On February 11, 2016 Facebook withdrew the Free Basics platform from India.

In May 2017, Facebook, in partnership with Indian telecoms operator Bharti Airtel, launched a service under the Express Wi-Fi banner.[50]

mission statement	"Connecting the world"
type	Affordable access to Internet services
products	Free Basics Express Wi-Fi
founder	Facebook
established	August 20, 2013
current status	Active

History

Satellite development

Participants

Reception

Expanding Internet access

User experience research

See also

External links

References

Net neutrality criticism in India