Facebook And Reliance May Offer Free Internet Access To Millions In India

Even if most people reading this article have access to internet and it is commonly believed that the entire world is connected to each other via internet, statistics suggest that only 30% of total world's population has access to Internet. This is a sad figure considering that 85% of the population lives in areas with existing cellular coverage. To tackle this issue by breaking the barriers of awareness and affordability, Facebook's Internet.org initiative was launched to make internet available as a set free basic services. After a successful launch in Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Colombia and Kenya, Facebook is said to be bringing the Internet.org to India with an exclusive tie up with Reliance Communications (RCom).

The news came to light when BGR.in reported that Facebook & RCom has sent invites for a joint press conference in Mumbai today. There's no clear mention of Internet.org in the invitation, but the text and image do hint about the same. The invite says, "one launch that will make a billion dreams take off". Take a look -

By empowering a billion people with internet connectivity, Facebook is sure to reach in the smartphones and tablets of young Indians. In his last year's visit to India, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced an Internet.org Innovation Challenge for making an app, service, website or idea targeted at women, students, farmers and migrant workers in India. The results of the contest will be declared shortly at the MWC 2015 event in Barcelona.

What are your thoughts on RCom and Facebook's probable tie up for Internet.org initiative? Share your thoughts with us in comments below.