Facebook rebrands internet.org platform as “Free Basics by Facebook”
Facebook has renamed what it had termed its internet access enabling platform, “internet.org” as Free Basics by Facebook.
Internet.org will remain as a wide and overarching entity, which includes the provision of free basic services apart from other projects such as enhancing connectivity (through its Connectivity Lab) and an innovation lab.
Briefing a group of Indian journalists at Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Chris Daniels, the vice-president of Internet.org said that Free Basics has been launched with the addition of a small set of services across 19 countries — including India — developed on an open platform with new partners.
The announcement of an open platform for websites and services on internet.org had already been made in May 2015 by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The open platform and the new services offered on them are going live with the re-launch of Free Basics by Facebook which is available as a downloadable app as well as a mobile website.
By Facebook’s estimation based on triangulation of data from ISPs, the company’s own user database among others, internet.org has thus far enabled access to hitherto unconnected users at a rate of 50% faster accessibility through the access to free and basic services, he said. Many of such users had, Facebook claims based on data, moved on to access the wider internet through paying their service provider further for data plans.
Facebook has an ongoing tie-up with Reliance Communications in India to provide services through internet.org.
Facebook’s internet.org had come under widespread criticisms in India because of concerns about violations of net neutrality. The re-branding and “differentiation changes”, including the creation of an open platform on internet.org, Facebook representatives admit, is a way to address those criticisms.
Internet.org’s rebranding comes in the wake of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Facebook headquarters on the 27th of September where he will jointly speak at a townhall style meeting with Mr. Zuckerberg.
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Source:Thehindu
