Facebook’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has engaged Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm, and four other companies for a project aimed at bringing internet access to parts of the world where it is currently unavailable.
The project, named Internet.org, will be launched today and will focus on ensuring internet access for five billion people who have not had it available to them so far, Zuckerberg stated.
– The goal of the Internet.org project is to provide internet access for two-thirds of the world’s population that is still ‘unconnected’ as well as to provide equal opportunities to the remaining third that already has internet access – he added.
Other participants in the project include Ericsson, MediaTek Inc, Nokia, and Opera Software ASA.
Partner companies will develop cheaper, higher-quality smartphones and expand internet access in communities where it is currently poorly available, Facebook announced.
Google announced in June that it has launched a small network of balloons over the southern hemisphere as part of an experiment aimed at providing more reliable internet access for the most remote parts of the world. The balloons in the ‘Project Loon’ pilot program were launched over New Zealand’s South Island. They are powered by solar and wind energy and operate at an altitude of 20 kilometers, Google reported.
