Facebook has announced that the Free Basics app is now available across India, almost half a year after launching the platform under the name Internet.org in partnership with Reliance Communications. It’s managed to barrel through the controversy it has been embroiled in since then, finding itself at the center of various net neutrality debates.
In a Facebook post, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the various benefits Free Basics provides, such as no-charge access to online services like jobs, news and health. The platform began with 32 apps and websites when it started out in India and now supports over 80. The free portals include sites like AccuWeather and Reuters Market Light.
Zuckerberg claims over 1 billion Indians don’t have access to the net today and Internet.org is Facebook’s way of reaching out to them. He cited the case of Ganesh Nimbalkar, a farmer in Maharashtra, to prove his point. Nimbalkar has apparently gotten rid of insects and increased his crop yield thanks to Free Basics.
However, only Reliance Communications subscribers can access the services for free. Back in October this year, the telecom operator said that over 1 million of its customers had become connected to the internet through Free Basics. The milestone was achieved within 6 months of bringing the platform to 7 of its circles.
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Activists feel that Internet.org violates the principles of net neutrality as Facebook has too much power. It is in charge of what sites are accessible through Free Basics, giving those services an unfair advantage. Smaller companies who rely on ads and videos are unable to join, as such content is not allowed in order to reduce data costs.
You can download the Free Basics app via the Google Play Store.