After the drone to take the Internet to remote locations, Zuckerberg now announces the placement of 20,000 hotspots in rural India so that these communities can enjoy a cheaper and affordable Wi-Fi service. The concept is the Wi-Fi Express that is part of the Internet.org project, and whose goal is to extend the accessibility to the Internet to various peoples of the World, especially those who are more isolated. “Making the world more open and connected” Zuckerberg. Express Wi-Fi started to be implemented in India in 2015 through several different operators, focusing mainly on commerce, whose stores were able to promote their products and services through the approximately 700 hotspots located in 4 locations in India: Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya. Currently, the service is active in India, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Indonesia.
20,000 hotspots for rural locations in India
Since the idea is to find solutions to bring the Internet to the whole world, Facebook, in partnership with Bharti Airtel, a telecommunications company, will put 20,000 hotspots, scattered in rural locations in India, so that the Express Wi-Fi service To be available to millions of Indians who need a fast Internet connection and affordable. However, it is expected that hotspots should be placed in the coming months. According to Ajai Puri, COO of Bharti Airtel, “We are delighted to be part of this initiative to provide affordable access to high-speed data across India, particularly in the underserved segment. We believe this will help to empower millions of Indians by bringing them online and contributing to the Government’s Digital India vision”.
The news was also released by Mark Zuckerberg himself on his Facebook account:-
The intention is also to increase the number of hotspots available in India as the data show that in a population of 1.3 billion, only 390 million have access to the Internet. The service will be available in daily, weekly or monthly packages and customers can use the Wi-Fi Express service by creating an account and can access the Internet via a browser or via the app. Today we’re expanding Facebook Express Wi-Fi in India. Together with Bharti Airtel, we’re going to launch another 20,000 hotspots. Express Wi-Fi is one of our projects to help more people get online. Anyone can run an Express Wi-Fi hotspot, which means entrepreneurs across the country can offer their communities faster and more affordable internet. Rohit added Express Wi-Fi to his family’s restaurant. He’s serving a lot more students these days, and they’re staying for longer. “Good food and good internet” seem to be pretty universal requirements for students everywhere. When people like Rohit extend the internet to their communities, they open up opportunities for others. We’ve helped connect more than 50 million people to the internet through programs like this, and we’re looking forward to hearing more stories like his. Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, May 4, 2017 In addition to Bharti Airtel, Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi service is also outlining partnerships with other operators such as AirJaldi (Uttarakhand), LMES (Rajasthan), Tikona (Gujarat) and Shaildhar (Meghalaya). So, what do you think about this initiative? Simply share your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
