Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg now wants to move past the controversy created by his Free Basics service and has announced something entirely new in the MWC 2016.
In his efforts to make internet a basic commodity and to make it available to all the people across the globe, Mark announced his plan to improve the network infrastructure.
While Free Basics was only about providing specific content to consumer devices. Telecom Infra Project, on the other hand deals with developing new and advanced technologies for telecom infrastructure for ensuring affordable internet access to everybody.
Facebook’s New Initiative: Telecom Infra Project
Telecom Infra Project (TIP) aims to bring together various telecom operators, network infrastructure providers, system integrators, and other technology companies to work on the development and deployment of new technologies and network infrastructure.
TIP’s members such as Facebook, Intel, and Nokia have pledged to contribute to the initial design, while other members like Deutsche Telekom, and SK Telecom will help define and deploy the technology.
“Today we’re taking the next step by partnering with telecom companies to develop new technologies that will reduce the cost of building mobile networks all over the world,” said Zuckerberg in a Facebook post.
According to a report released by the Alliance for Affordable Internet, more than 50% of the global population still don’t have access to affordable internet. The report also revealed that the UN is expected to miss its target of getting the whole world online by more than 20 years.
This will mean that a whole generation will miss out on the advantages of the internet and that’s why something has to be done to promote the affordability and penetration of the internet both broadband and mobile.
This is yet another Facebook’s initiative to bring affordable internet to the masses. It has previously announced multiple such projects like providing internet via solar-powered plan and satellites, and services like Free Basics and Express Wi-Fi.
We all know the controversies created by Free Basics in India before it got banned by the TRAI on the grounds that it had potential to create a two-tier internet for the poor and the rich.
Let’s see what Zuckerberg has in mind for the Telecom Infra Project.
PS: We would love to see how Internet.org comes up with an affordable internet offering for the poorest of the world.
What are your thoughts about this? Do let us know.
It’s all a trick to capture the internet rather than providing it