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This does not line up with anything I've read about mobile Internet usage in India. You may be underestimating the willingness of poor people (the vast majority

by ceras 11y ago

This does not line up with anything I've read about mobile Internet usage in India. You may be underestimating the willingness of poor people (the vast majority of India) to save up for an extremely low-end smart phone. By and large, mobile Internet users in poor countries are extremely careful with their metered Internet usage and try to only use data while on wifi. 50% of Indians with smartphones deactivate their data, as a minimum-wage earning Indian needs to work 18 hours to afford a 500 MB top-up[2]. [2] http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/dec/18/developing-countries-smartphone-revolution-internet-access http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-... (Edited to replace "typical Indian" with "minimum-wage earning.")

Manishearth 11y ago
> only use data while on wifi what wifi? There's not much wifi in rural areas, one place that Internet.org is targeting. In cities, yes, but then they already had access to wifi. I don't deny that folks will be judicious with their Internet. I'm refuting the humanitarian benefit touted by Facebook: "people who wouldn't be able to afford or access the Internet can access at least some parts of it". That's wrong. People who can afford the Internet will be able to access it more freely, agreed. And I did say that that is a benefit, but not major, especially the way things are going with respect to connectivity and data costs. And as countless others have mentioned in this thread, Internet.org is not the only solution in place that tries to provide this.