84% of the population who are not experiencing the virtue of internet - Internet.org is a joint initiative of Facebook 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.
It has been criticized for violating net neutrality and favoring Facebook's own services over its competitor. Until April 2015, Internet.org users could access (for free) only a few websites, and Facebook's role as the gatekeeper in determining what websites were in that list was criticized for violating net neutrality. In May 2015, Facebook announced that the Internet.org Platform would be opened to websites that met its criteria.
Internet.org Participants:
Below is a selective history of launch dates, Country and participating mobile networks:
July 2014: Zambia
October 2014: Tanzania
November 2014: Kenya
January 2015: Colombia
January 2015: Ghana, with Airtel
10 February 2015: India with Reliance Communications
18 March 2015: Philippines with Smart Communications
31 March 2015: Guatemala with Tigo
20 April 2015: Indonesia with Indosat
10 May 2015: Bangladesh with Robi
13 May 2015: Malawi with TNM and Airtel
28 May 2015: Pakistan with Telenor Pakistan
5 June 2015: Senegal with Tigo
19 June 2015: Bolivia with VIVA
1 July 2015: South Africa with Cell C
Internet.org FAQ
Is Facebook app on my mobile also free of charge: Facebook browsing from internet.org is free of charge, but the Facebook app is not free.
Internet.org app: Currently only android app for internet.org is available which can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
How will I know if I am clicking on an external link and will be charged?: When you click on an external link a pop-up will appear informing you are going to be charged. If you click ‘Continue’ you will be taken to the next page where you will be given a choice to buy an internet pack, use existing internet pack or browse on pay per use.
This pop-up will still appear even when the subscriber has an existing pack.
About internet.org packs: Internet.org pack can also be used for browsing on other websites.
If subscriber purchase internet.org pack more than once, the volume will accumulate and the validity will increase to the validity of the newly purchased pack.
Internet.org packs can only be purchased through internet.org platform or app. Packs cannot be purchased through USSD or self-care.
If I browse the sites of internet.org by writing the URL in the address bar in the browser, will it be free?: No, the sites of internet.org are only free when subscriber browse on them through internet.org platform or app.
Video browsing through internet.org: Videos are not available through internet.org. On Facebook and Messenger, video upload will not be charged, but download (or watching) is chargeable, however, you can purchase internet pack to access the video.
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