No advertisements on the special Wi-Fi service.
By Dileep Thekkethil
Facebook has always boasted about its free internet initiative Internet.org, even during the days when questions were asked about the ethics of providing arbitrary free internet access to a limited number of websites. Now the world’s largest social media website is trying to innovate ways of providing internet connectivity in the India.
Kevin Martin, the Vice-president of Facebook for mobile and global access while speaking at the Indian Economic Convention 2015 said that the California-based social media giant plans to launch a special Wi-Fi service in India which would help in subsidising the cost of Internet in India.
Martin said, “We are rolling out a kind of Wi-Fi service at a lower cost which is trying to adjust cost issue in other countries and looking out to do that in India.”
He also added “When users purchase Internet access, they should be able to go where they want to, and that concept of net neutrality rules in context of operators who originally wanted to sell different tiers of speeds to consumers so that certain services can be accessed on a faster basis.”
He also assured the audience that the special Wi-Fi service of Facebook will be made available without advertisements and video, which means users will consume lesser bandwidth with better speed.
Martin also revealed that Facebook lab is working on a prototype of drones and unmanned flying objects that might in near future beam internet at lower cost in places where the technology has not yet flourished.
Martin also echoed the purpose of the Internet.org imitative which according to him falls in line with the concept of net neutrality, which realizes the importance of internet by giving users basic free internet service.