Facebook Announces Nationwide Launch Of Free Basics On Reliance Communications Network

Social media giant Facebook has launched it’s free internet service Free Basics (Internet.org) on the Reliance network in India.

In a post on Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “Today, nearly 1 Bn people are without internet access in India. With Internet.org’s Free Basics available to everyone in India, people will have access to the information and opportunity the internet brings in health, education, jobs and communication space.

Facebook has also updated its Myths & Facts sheet, where the company has tried to clear all the myths and rumours surrounding the service, related to privacy and security, internet access model, pathway to the full internet, and other issues.

Earlier last month when Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, met Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook rebranded its anti net-neutrality app, Internet.org, to ‘Free Basics’ in order to distinguish the Internet.org initiative from the programs and services that the company aimed to provide.

Facebook’s internet.org faced a lot of challenges in India including criticism, debates and public outrage. This even include some big names like NDTV, Cleartrip, Airtel, Rahul Gandhi and some properties of Times Group that favoured net-neutrality.

Besides, a panel from Department of Telecom (DoT), who had submitted recommendations on the various aspects of net neutrality in May this year, had opposed Facebook’s internet.org initiative, saying, it favoured the social media giant and provided access only to select applications.

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