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Facebook has big plans to bring internet to more people in rural areas
Over the past few years, Facebook has been rolling out several initiatives to bring free and cost-reducing internet to people in underdeveloped areas all around the world. That includes things like Terragraph, a millimeter-wave wireless technology that not only serves connectivity but does so in speedy form -- it runs on the same frequency as the one being tested by operators for proposed 5G cellular networks. Then there are others such as the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), a collaboration between tech industry firms to accelerate the development of internet infrastructure in rural areas. OpenCellular, meanwhile, is a low-power base station optimized for underserved regions across the globe. In order for all of these projects to be successful, though, Facebook can't do it alone.
Facebook's free internet service shut down in Egypt
Last week, regulators in India clamped down on Facebook's Free Basics in the country, and now Egypt is doing the same. The Associated Press reports that the program the social network launched with Etisalat Egypt two months ago was shut down today. In a statement to the AP, Facebook said that it hopes the issue is resolved soon, so that the nearly one million people that were previously without internet will have access restored.
Facebook's free internet service expands to Malawi
As good a cause as it is, Internet.org recently came under pressure for allegedly violating India's net neutrality laws -- something Facebook was quick to address. Still, that's not stopping the social network from spreading its initiative, which brings free basic web access to underdeveloped countries, across more places. Today Internet.org, backed also by companies like Nokia, Samsung and Qualcomm, is launching in Malawi, an African country with a population of 16 million-plus. Mark Zuckerberg let it be known in a Facebook post that, with this expansion, Internet.org is now available to over 1 billion people around the globe.
Facebook's Internet.org project brings free web access to users in India
Less than a month after Facebook launched its Internet.org initiative to give folks in Colombia free web access, the company is expanding its efforts to India. Reliance Communications subscribers in six states (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra', Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Telangana) can browse things like news, weather, government info and job listings with the Internet.org Android app. What's more, the bulk of the options are available in seven languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati and Marathi. If you'll recall, the Internet.org app is also available in Kenya and Zambia, connecting users in those areas with basic services and local info, too.
Internet.org is taking its free internet services to Kenya
Facebook, Nokia, Samsung, Qualcomm and others created Internet.org in hopes of bringing web connectivity to underserved areas around the globe. Since the start of the collaboration between these tech companies, Internet.org has launched in Zambia and Tanzania, the latter being one of Africa's most populated countries. Next week, Internet.org's app, which provides free access to a variety of different services, is also becoming available in Kenya. As TechCrunch points out, Airtel customers in that area can start using AccuWeather, BBCNews, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Wikipedia, as well as other sites and communication tools, at no cost to them. And let's not forget Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia are only the first three countries to benefit from this initiative -- ultimately, Internet.org aims to blanket roughly 5 billion people altogether.
Google donates $600,000 to bring free WiFi to San Francisco parks
San Francisco has been striving for city-wide internet access since 2007, and with a little help from Mountain View, it's now one step closer to achieving that lofty goal. After receiving a $600,000 donation from Google, 31 public parks in one of the world's most tech-savvy cities will have free WiFi for at least two years. Google's gift will cover installation and maintenance of all necessary equipment for the project, which builds upon the the city's existing public WiFi hotspots like San Francisco International Airport and City Hall. While blanket coverage for the entire city is still a ways off, offering free internet access in places like public parks is a giant step forward in making the web accessible for all.
FreedomPop expands service to include free voice -- but not for iOS yet
Bargain hunters in the iOS world probably already know about FreedomPop. It's the company that provides 500 MB of free data every month to customers using mobile hotspots, USB dongles or a sleeve that fits the iPod touch. Now the company is going a bit further by adding 200 free voice minutes and unlimited texting to the mix, although there won't be a way for iOS users to take advantage of Freedom Pop's generosity -- yet. FreedomPop is taking pre-orders on its website now, but won't actually go live with the service until August or September. For those who love to talk on the phone, the company will offer a $10 monthly unlimited voice calling plan. All calls on the devices will be internet calls, except for 911 calls that are made using traditional cellular networks. To go ultracheap, FreedomPop will be offering the service only on high-quality refurbished WiMax-capable devices like the Android-based Galaxy SII and Evo 4G. Those devices will be available for less than $200 without a contract. Customers with phones that operate on the Sprint network (such as Samsung's Galaxy S4) will find that their phones will work with FreedomPop's service. The way the company is able to route calls through its data network is by tweaking the Android dialer. We can only hope that FreedomPop is able to provide the same ability to iOS devices through an app soon, even if it's only on jailbroken devices. Oh, and by the way -- if you're wondering how FreedomPop makes money by giving away free service, it's through the sales of data devices and through add-on services.
Google Free Zone comes to the Philippines: access Google+, Gmail and Google Search without charge
Luckily for some, Google has thing for dishing out free internet, which is probably why it's teamed up with Filipino carrier Globe to test out complimentary access to its services. Available now, Free Zone allows any internet-enabled phone to access Gmail, Google+ or Google Search without even having a data plan. Intended mainly for feature phones, you can even load up pages from those search results without paying a dime -- or should we say, peso. There's no usage cap, but clicking through to subsequent pages, accessing Gmail attachments, or opening links from within Google+ will incur charges, but you'll be prompted to accept them or sign up for a plan before that happens. The Philippines is the first market to try out Free Zone, but the wider scheme is "aimed at the next billion users of the internet, many of whom will be in emerging markets." Yeah, the catch is that you'll be exposed to some advertising while you're using it -- but there's no such thing as a free search, right? Update: Actually, there is such a thing as a free search. Google has been in touch to let us know that "Free Zone doesn't serve any ads." Bonus!
Samba launches ad-supported mobile data in the UK, makes you dance for your internet
Want mobile data, but without the pesky monetary cost? Samba, a new virtual network in the UK offers just that, in a model similar to the Blyk virtual operator before it. You'll need to stump up for a SIM (£2.99,) and an optional dongle, then sit back and soak up a few adverts to earn some internet "credit." The MVNO uses Three's network, but keeps a record of your browsing as part of the deal (which, claims the BBC, you can prevent from being used for marketing purposes). To get online you'll need to install a browser plug-in, or iPad app which will send you off to the commercials before sending you on your digital way. While technically free, it'll cost you about two-and-a-half minutes of your time a day to get about 517 megabytes of data in a month. Additional credit can be earned through partner deals, or straight up cash if you just want to get on sans adverts. The "free"-dom doesn't extend to what you can browse though, with some sites (those deemed offensive, or in breach of copyright) being off-limits. Still, if this sounds like a decent trade-off, or a good backup plan, head down to the source after these messages...
FreedomPop plans to give away mobile internet, still make money somehow
"Freemium" mobile broadband outfit FreedomPop has pulled back the curtain on how it plans to make money while giving away 4G internet. In an interview with GigaOm, Marketing VP Tony Miller revealed that once it has got enough consumers hooked on the gratis data, his company will start selling premium features, potentially including a VoIP solution for the network, now supplied by Clearwire after the collapse of LightSquared. The company will also charge a penny for every megabyte used over the free monthly allowance (currently pegged at 1GB) and build a social network where more data can be earned and traded between friends. Alongside the WiMAX shell for the iPhone, we can also expect to see an iPod Touch edition, USB dongle and mobile hotspot arrive before the network's launch. The company doesn't have too long to iron out the kinks in the business plan however, as it'll go live in the third quarter of 2012.
Starbucks brews up free, two-click WiFi in the UK
If your work environment consists of coworkers constantly yelling "venti half-caf red eye" across the "office," then you'll be pleased to know that Starbucks has made it faster and easier to get online. By extending its free one-click two-click WiFi service to 650 stores in the UK, over caffeinated Brits will now be able to access gratis internet without having to sign up for a Starbucks Rewards card -- a former requirement on the coffee conglomerate's BT Openzone network. Now, if we could only find a chair...
Android tablets bring touchscreen connectivity to Indian bus riders -- still no $35 slates in sight (video)
That's right, that little green blob in the upper left hand corner of that built-in touchscreen is indeed the Android logo, and that display does indeed belong to a tablet of unknown origin, currently riding around on the back of a headrest on a bus somewhere in India. We're not entirely sure who's funding this project or which bus line the tablets can be found on, but the login screen you see here does give us a little bit of insight: "As per government policy, we need to record details of the person using the Internet on this device." The service is apparently free and unlimited, and if this is a government program, it would be right in line with India's democratic outlook on technology. Sure, Indian college students are still awaiting the storied $35 tablets, but we suppose if they have enough scratch to ride the bus all day, these headrest slates could do in a pinch. For a look at what Android tablets look like on public transit, check out the video after the jump. [Thanks, Kartik]
Starbucks begins offering free two-click WiFi access in US and Canada
Mmm... nothing like the smell of a warm caramel macchiato in the morning being masked by the smell of fresh greenbacks being burned, right? All jesting aside, we're pretty stoked about the world's most recognized coffee joint turning off the paywall surrounding its in-house WiFi hotspots, and in case you missed the original announcement, we're here to remind you that the free-for-all begins today. As of this very moment, the next US / Canadian corporately-ran Starbucks that you enter should be offering free one two-click WiFi, meaning that no password is required and no time limits will be set. Of course, this also means that you'll never see an open chair in any Starbucks ever again, but hey -- that's why sidewalks were created, right? Update: Ha, as our good friend Dave Zatz points out, it's actually two-clicks, not one: 1) agree to terms and services, 2) connect. But let's not let the facts ruin a snappy press release.
FCC will consider 'free or very low cost wireless broadband' service
Did you know there was a Digital Inclusion Summit going on? We already know the FCC isn't best pleased about the fact 93 million Americans are making do without access to home broadband, and this latest event was an opportunity for it to dish some more info on its forthcoming National Broadband Plan. The major obstacles to broadband adoption identified by the FCC were noted as cost, computer illiteracy, and a sheer lack of awareness about the benefits the web offers (outside of cute kitties). The big Plan will be delivered to Congress a week from today, and its suggestions will include the creation of a Digital Literacy Corps, who'll be performing missionary duties among the unenlightened, and the big whopper: a proposal to "consider use of spectrum for a free or very low cost wireless broadband service." Yeah, if you can't jump over the cost hurdle you might as well eviscerate it from existence. Quite naturally, such radical plans have been met with much grumbling opposition, and Business Week reports that it may be years before the full reforms are implemented ... if at all.
Borders pulls a B&N, offers free WiFi to all patrons
In the gory, never-ending war for book store supremacy, Borders has just tapped Verizon in order to match Barnes & Noble's summer efforts to bring gratis WiFi to all who enter. Details of the arrangement are scant, but the takeaway is this: in "virtually all" of its more than 500 stores nationwide, Borders is hooking up with Verizon to bring free internet to anyone who sashays in (note: you literally have to dance upon entering) with a WiFi-enabled device. The service is expected to be fully rolled out by mid-October, giving you plenty of time to select the scarf and skinny jeans you'd like to be seen in by your fellow hipsters.
India could get free 2Mbps broadband internet by 2009
Entire cities getting free WiFi used to be quite the sensation, but now the real hotness is in connecting up an entire nation. According to IndiaTimes, the government is proposing that all citizens of India receive complimentary 2Mbps internet by 2009, and the service would be provided by the state-owned BSNL and MTNL. Officials backing the plan are hoping that giving all residents access to high-speed internet would "boost economic activity" as the citywide free WiFi implementations apparently have in America. The nation's department of telecom will purportedly be laying "an extensive optic cable network across the country, permitting the resale of bandwidth, setting up web hosting facilities within the country, and asking all internet service providers to connect to the National Internet Exchange of India." Unsurprisingly, this issue has created very polarized camps, as consumers cheer on the idea, current telecom providers are shaking at the mere thought of all future telephone calls being converted into free VoIP dialogue.[Via Slashdot]
WiFi Liberator beams pay-per-use access to others gratis
While we've already seen methods to bring subscription-based outdoor WiFi into the home, and the miracle of finding gratis internet access is quickly covering more and more of the world, there's still quite a few places (and companies) who feel that browsing the world wide web is a privilege reserved for the impulse buyer. In an effort to distribute pay-per-use WiFi to anyone sans cost, and to potentially get yourself in hot water all the while, the WiFi Liberator Toolkit is a open-source hardware / software tandem that opens up "private wireless nodes to encourage the proliferation of free networks and connectivity across the planet." The primary goal is to essentially force pay internet providers to offer up their services for free, and by installing a free application (OS X users only, for now) and connecting a USB-based WiFi adapter, you too can release locked WiFi from its chains while possibly getting yourself locked up. So if you're looking to nab a bit of free wireless after T-Mobile shuts off its promo here in just a few months, click on through to the read link and free free to get a little rebellious.[Via BoingBoing]
