Facebook¡¯s Express Wi-Fi Beams In Rural India, Hounded By Ghosts Of Free Basics Past

Facebook¡¯s at it again. Despite the hue and cry of late last year, where Facebook tried to push its Free Basics initiative down unsuspecting consumers¡¯ throats by hitching a ride through a variety of cellular operators in India, it¡¯s back with a brand new philanthropic rural Internet connectivity scheme for the nation.

Free Internet, Much Wow

Dubbed Facebook Express Wi-Fi, which is still part of the social media giant¡¯s highly controversial Internet.org offering, this is a fresh attempt by Mark Zuckerberg¡¯s company to help expand Internet connectivity to some of the most underserved locations in the world.

Signalling the live deployment of Express Wi-Fi on Facebook¡¯s Internet.org page, the company explains how it¡¯s ¡°working with carriers, internet service providers, and local entrepreneurs¡± to help widen the Internet footprint in rural India.

Any effort to boost Internet connectivity in the country should be welcomed, especially in a country so diverse as ours where government can only do so much and private entities have a huge role to play. After all, Google in partnership with Indian Railway¡¯s RailTel plans to deploy free Wi-Fi hotspots at 400 railway station and other public locations in the country. So what¡¯s wrong with Facebook¡¯s Express Wi-Fi initiative, and why the initial skepticism?

Express Wi-Fi & Net Neutrality

Everything seems hunky dory for now, as there¡¯s very little known about Facebook¡¯s Express Wi-Fi apart from it helps rural Internet connectivity. Given the information provided on Facebook¡¯s Internet.org page, it looks like Facebook¡¯s helping last mile Internet connectivity in rural India by engaging with local ISPs and entrepreneurs, apart from ¡°working with¡± carriers.

Apart from bringing connectivity afresh, it wants to exploit existing local networks and open them up for free public consumption. While not yet confirmed by Facebook, Express Wi-Fi is predominantly meant for use by low-value handsets traditionally latching onto 2G connectivity or lower.

Whether or not Express Wi-Fi comes with a walled garden of services remains to be seen, another important detail that Facebook hasn¡¯t explained at the moment.

Because precisely for offering users curated Internet apps and services for free, essentially turning into gatekeepers of the Internet and flouting Net Neutrality norms, Facebook¡¯s Free Basics initative invited TRAI¡¯s ire and subsequent ban earlier this year.

We can all hope that Facebook has learnt its lesson and with Express Wi-Fi trying to make a more comprehensive attempt to connect India without flouting Net Neutrality norms.