In a recent forum in Manila, Facebook product partnership manager Jackie Chang spoke about Globe's free Facebook offer.
"Globe was one of the first telecoms to offer free Facebook to millions of customers and what we saw in the Philippines was astounding. Internet and data usage doubled. Because we were able to do that with Globe, we realized that there’s an opportunity to go beyond just free Facebook and give people access to a set of free basic services," she said.
From its test with Globe, Facebook started working with operators on sustainable business models that enable mobile operators to provide access to free services and still continue to support the infrastructure to provide connectivity to people.
Also, Facebook saw the opportunity to add a suite of free basic Internet services that would give access to health, information and education.
Last July, Facebook launched the Internet.org. A brainchild of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Internet.org's goal is to make affordable internet access available to the two thirds of the world who do not have internet connectivity.
Using the app, people can browse health, employment and local information services without data charges.
As of now, the Internet.org app is available to Airtel subscribers in Zambia.
While the world's cellular infrastructure covers 85 percent of the total population, Chang noted only 30 percent has access to the Internet.
She said basic internet services can be made affordable to everyone by reducing the cost of building infrastructure, using radio spectrum more efficiently, and building open source hardware.
"The future of the world economy is the knowledge economy. If everyone has access to basic financial, health, communication, and education tools, all of us will benefit from the creativity and ideas that others have. At some point we have all been held back by fear. Like the fear of not knowing an important piece of information that may bring an opportunity or not knowing that piece of information that may put you in danger. What if you have all that information in the palm of your hand? This is the question and the problem that we want to answer," Chang said.
Last week, Globe Telecom announced it was bringing back its free Facebook service, in response to rival Smart's free Internet promo for its prepaid subscribers.
Globe had earlier said the free Facebook promo allowed the telco to double its mobile data user base.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
