Zuckerberg releases free internet services: Facts on usage of internet in India

                                         

To expand Facebook's presence in India, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has released its free internet service Free Basics (Internet.org). This has been done in partnership with Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Opera Software, Nokia and Qualcomm.

The aim of Free Basics is to bring affordable access to selected Internet services to less developed countries by enabling the development of new business models.

All you need to know about it:

• The app was earlier known as Internet.org but in September, this year, it was renamed as Free Basics

• According to Zuckerberg, this app will help everyone in India in accessing free internet services for health, education, jobs and communication on the Reliance network

• Free Basics' key feature is free access to select websites, or zero rating

• Free Basics includes services such as news, maternal health, travel, local jobs, sports, communication, and local government information

• It has been reported that the mobile operators will receive no payment from either Facebook or any of the service providers

• In his Facebook post, Zuckerberg mentioned the name of a farmer in Maharashtra, Ganesh Nimbalkar , and how Free Basics has helped him not only double his crop yield but also get a better deal for them

• Facebook founder Zuckerberg, who was in India last month, had also addressed IIT-Delhi saying that he supported net-neutrality 100 percent

• Telecom major Bharti Airtel and Facebook also recently announced the launch of free internet access service platform across 17 African countries in phases by March 2016

• Airtel Africa had already been working with Facebook in enhancing accessibility to the internet through the launch of Free Basics in Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, Seychelles and Rwanda.

Facts on the usage of internet in India:

• In 2013, India had turned out to be the third-largest online market with more than 154 million internet users

• India was ranked only behind China and the United States

• The number of internet users in India reached 354 million by the end of June 2015

• According to the Internet And Mobile Association of India, the internet users in India has grown 17 percent in the initial 6 months of this year

• In the first six months of this year India saw approximately 52 million new users

• Nearly one billion people in India are without internet services.