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Article

21 Aug 2013

Author:
Vindu Goel, New York Times

Facebook Leads an Effort to Lower Barriers to Internet Access

Facebook announced an effort aimed at drastically cutting the cost of delivering basic Internet services on mobile phones, particularly in developing countries, where Facebook and other tech companies need to find new users. Half a dozen of the world’s tech giants, including Samsung, Nokia, Qualcomm and Ericsson, have agreed to work with the company as partners on the initiative, which they call Internet.org...With Internet.org, [Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg] is laying out a philosophy that tries to pair humanitarian goals with the profit motive...The group also hopes to develop new business models that would allow phone companies to provide simple services like e-mail, search and social networks for little or no charge...The coalition partners have also begun trying new ways of reducing the data charges paid by cellphone customers while still enabling phone makers and carriers to make money...“We’re focused on it more because we think it’s something good for the world,” [Mark Zuckerberg] said, “rather than something that is going to be really amazing for our profits.” [Also refers to Globe Telecom, Google, Microsoft]

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