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African here: I'm really really glad more and more counties are seeing behind the facade Facebook is putting. (Earlier post) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?

• thebenedict 11y ago
  How would you prefer poor people in your country get access to the internet? Who should implement it and who would pay?
  • ZenoArrow 11y ago
    The infrastructure already exists. IIRC Free Basics uses the existing mobile internet infrastructure. I would suggest it'd be better for ISPs to offer a free, data capped tier, funded by whomever chooses to do so (governments, charities, etc...). If Facebook truly wanted to be philanthropic they could fund a scheme like this, rather than following a plan designed to directly benefit their core business.
• tdaltonc 11y ago
  Mind if I ask how you usually access HN? Mobile? A mac you own? An internet cafe? Do you know anyone who would consider something like free basic? What's their story? I've heard basically nothing from anyone who might use facebook-basics (unless they are being used as a propaganda tool), and I'd love to.
  • wsgeorge 11y ago
    So I just created an HN account to answer this. I'm in Accra, Ghana. > Mind if I ask how you usually access HN? My PC, with WiFi at home. > Do you know anyone who would consider something like free basic? I would. Already, mobile networks have Facebook and Wikipedia (iirc) zero-rated. Meaning you pay nothing to use those services. My startup is trying to get zero-rating on Vodafone to encourage our customers to use our service. Having free access to some useful sites is a plus. Having my Internet restricted to those sites is a minus.
    • tdaltonc 11y ago
      Thanks! What is the process of getting zero-rating like? Are you glad that zero rating exists in your market?
      • thebenedict 11y ago
        American in TZ here. I'm skeptical of FB motives but the Free Basics user experience is undeniably good -- it just works. I put up a few screenshots from Free Basics on Tigo Tanzania in a recent blog post (link in profile).
      • wsgeorge 11y ago
        > What is the process of getting zero-rating like? I don't know. As far as I can tell (what we're doing) we're speaking to the telcos directly. There's no formal process for getting zero-rating. We have an investor/incubator relationship with Vodafone Ghana. Zero-rating our service is just one of the things we're negotiating. > Are you glad that zero rating exists in your market? Uhh...I should put my current feelings in context. I didn't care much 2-3yrs ago because these were marketed as carrier promos, and telcos in Ghana have a bad reputation already. It was none of my business until word went round that MTN (the largest in Ghana, huge across Africa) will start charging special rates for using certain apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, the usual. The response in our small tech community was mixed. A lot of people I asked weren't aware, but there few that were, were truly outraged. I didn't follow the news but it seemed other telcos started moving in that direction, then backed down. All the while, 0.facebook.com was still promoted on billboards in Accra. So it's two things: you can get useful services for free (so you remain subscribed to the network, I guess) or you can be charged specially for using a service that really matters. My feelings are mixed at this point but I'd much rather prefer a neutral net than one that can favour or penalize services. That leaves an uncomfortable room for abuse.
  • scope 11y ago
    I do most of my weekend and past working hours browsing via my iPhone(5S). I only use 3G (LTE is just too damn expensive), working hours I use wifi(4mbps / 8mpbs) with my MBP > ...who would consider something like free basic? I can't put a number on it but from what I've observed it's SCARY to see the consequences if Free Basics took off. All internet cafes already have Facebook as the default page (most people don't even know how to logout, they just close the tab). One thing that gives me hope is that people also know Google (I personally use DDG).
• mkagenius 11y ago
  There is no facade, they have said the aim is to get more full-internet users to telcos while getting more people on facebook. So, they have convinced telcos to give free-basics for free for the poor and soon they will see them switching to full internet. And in the process people will get addicted to fb too. Poor - Win FB - Win Telcos - Win I don't understand, why people are only seeing non net-neutrality way of making money from this. There are ways for them to make money in the above way too.
  • bduerst 11y ago
    Their service used to be called Internet.org, but after getting called out by the EFF and others for not being the internet, Facebook rebranded it. It's definitely a front for what Comcast et al have been trying to do to destroy net neutrality. The only difference is that it's under the guise of a "helping the poor" facade, and you've been fooled by it.
    • mkagenius 11y ago
      Non neutral webs can be easily curtailed by government authorities, it has been proven in the past when Airtel tried to give a "fast lane" speed to certain website. Why to kill something when you are not sure that it will definitely result in non net neutral internet. If there are people doubting it, then you must wait till it really makes the web non neutral, then the government can interfere. Government just have to give one notice to the telcos to stop this. This is one experiment which is worth trying.
      • bduerst 11y ago
        Except Facebook isn't "experimenting". They're a for-profit company that is violating net neutrality and damaging ISP market growth in developing nations. Your logic justifying this as an "experiment" is just as unethical as the logic behind something like the AZT trials.