Facebook has launched a new mobile app that allows users in Zambia to gain free access to a handful of online services on their mobile devices. The app is intended to boost Internet usage in underdeveloped countries.
According to the company, over 85% of the world’s population lives in areas with existing cellular coverage; however, 30% of the total population accesses the internet. Affordability and awareness are significant barriers to internet adoption for many and today we are introducing the Internet.org app to make the internet accessible to more people by providing a set of free basic services.
According to Guy Rosen, Director and Product Management for Facebook: “Individuals can browse a set of health, employment and local information services without data charges. By providing free basic services via the app, we hope to bring more people online and help them discover valuable services they might not have otherwise.”
“The Internet.org app will be available first to Airtel subscribers in Zambia and we’ll continue to improve the experience and roll it out to other parts of the world, this is according to Facebook,” Rosen concluded.
Through the Internet.org app, Airtel customers in Zambia will have basic access to:
– AccuWeather
– Airtel
– eZeLibrary
– Facebook
– Facts for Life
– Google Search
– Go Zambia Jobs
– Kokoliko
– MAMA
– Messenger
– Wikipedia
– WRAPP
– Zambia uReport
Airtel customers in Zambia can access these services in the Internet.org Android app, at internet.org, or within the Facebook for Android app.
