Facebook's Express Wi-Fi launched commercially in India

Facebook just published its earning report, according to which the company is doing really well. Now, apparently, it is also trying to increase the number of internet users in India. The Social Networking company yesterday announced the commercial launch of Express Wi-Fi. For who don't know, it is an initiative part of Internet.org. Users can access the internet using the Express Wi-Fi at an affordable price.

Currently, Facebook has made the service available in four states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya, where around 700 hotspots have been installed. Besides India, Express Wi-Fi is available in four other countries: Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Tanzania. Additionally, Facebook has partnered with Airtel to install 20,000 hotspots in the above-mentioned states.

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The company has also joined hands with local ISPs like AirJaldi in Uttarakhand, LMES in Rajasthan, and Tikona in Gujarat. The company claims that its local entrepreneur partners will sell really cheap data vouchers (Rs. 10-20 for a day's internet usage).

"Express Wi-Fi is designed to complement mobile data offerings by providing a low-cost, high-bandwidth alternative for getting online and access apps, download and stream content," stated Munish Seth, the regional head of Facebook's connectivity solutions in APAC region.

Notably, Facebook is not the first one to launch this kind of program. Google also offers free Wi-Fi at many railway stations across India. In any case, both the companies need more people to use the internet for their own benefit.

While the Express Wi-Fi program sounds quite nice, the possibility cannot be denied that Facebook wants to use it solely for generating profit.