Facebook, in collaboration with local partner Telenor, announced today that Internet.org is available for users in Pakistan. The initiative is part of a campaign to make the internet accessible and affordable to the two-thirds of the world that remain offline.
Mobile users from Pakistan will now have free access to an array of services, including health, education, finance, news, and jobs. Some of the sites included in the initiative are ESPN Cricinfo, BBC, Accuweather, OLX, and UNICEF Facts for Life.
Apparently Facebook wants to promote local content in Pakistan too. Sites like Ilmkidunya, Mustakbil, and Urdupoint Cooking are part of the package.
Internet.org first launched in Zambia in July 2014, and has since gone on to cover Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, Ghana, India, Philippines, Guatemala, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Malawi.
“With Internet.org, more people in Pakistan will have access to free basic internet tools and information that can create new opportunities and help improve their lives,” said Markku Makelainen, director of global operator partnerships at Facebook, in an emailed statement.
Internet.org’s local partner, Telenor, is a multinational telecommunications service provider operating in Pakistan since 2005. It has over 36 million subscribers. In the first phase, only Telenor users will be able to access Internet.org.
According to Pakistan’s telecommunications regulatory authority, there are approximately 27 million internet users in the country, about half of whom are on mobile. However, precise data is difficult to obtain, and figures remain contested.
While Internet.org has a glossy veneer, it has met with significant controversy and debate. Users feel the service violates net neutrality principles. In India, over a million emails were sent to the local telecommunications regulatory body expressing disapproval and registering protest. Similarly, in Indonesia, local telco XL Axiata opted out after initially agreeing to collaborate with Facebook. However, it remains to be seen whether the service will instigate similar reactions in Pakistan.
Editing by Michael Tegos and Steven Millward
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