Zukerberg cannot catch a break. Poor fellow, what kind of money does he make by connecting the lower economic spectrum of India? Is there some business tactics in there for growing the consumer base, sure, but honestly, this should be perhaps duty of Indian people, public or private. For all its imperfection internet.org is about reaching to poor people, who have NO ACCESS. Is a heavily subsidized but limited access EVIL than No ACCESS.
Reaching out to poor people is a poor propaganda excuse to make sure the regulator doesn't come after them.
Free Basics is being advertised in metropolitan areas, not poor villages. Why waste money advertising it on TV Channels which only the elites watch? Poor people cannot afford subscriptions to those channels. Yet they're running Free Basics ads on those channels. Why don't they limit Free Basics to first time FB sign ups? Why are they targeting people who already have internet connections? Majority of people who will sign up for Free Basics are the ones who already have internet. That is exactly what Zuck wants. No advertising money to be made in remote villages. If it was...Facebook would be in the villages...it is NOT!
The fact is that Facebook is not committed to Net Neutrality.
Are metros devoid of poverty? It is the first group of poor people who might be aware of Internet but do not have economic power to attain it. If I start something like FB basics, I will start with Urban poor, not rural poor. Advertising on Channels, I do not have much knowledge and you may have a point there.
Even in First World, people are cutting cord and using their mobile phones as sole Internet connection, that Internet is capped, has priority traffic etc.
I prefer net neutrality, but am willing to give some exceptions esp. when catering to lower economic spectrum, who themselves cannot exchange money for Internet connection.
It's not about money, it's about power. He who directs what a few hundred million people see on the internet has tremendous power - and that what Zuckerberg is after. He is not to be trusted with such power - no one should be trusted with such power.
You're missing the issue here. Cherry picking websites that are zero rated is evil, monopolistic practice. If the internet is to be subsidized to the poor, then give them the whole internet. Not just Facebook and a select few other websites.
Absolutely not. This adversely affects the budding start up industry in India. If Zuckerberg really wants to help poor Indians, then provide access to the entire internet and let them figure out which service helps them out best.
As a compromise, free access to only non-commercial non-profit entities/websites that offer beneficial information is acceptable although not ideal.
