CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg speaks as he announces the Internet.org Innovation Challenge in India in New Delhi on October 9, 2014. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images
Mark Zuckerberg’s Internet.org project has made strides since its launch in August 2013, not the least of which have included exploring airborne ways of delivering internet to rural regions of the world, and offering free access to certain applications for those with mobile devices. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg announced that Internet.org would aim to provide access to applications such as the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action in Zambia given the mounting evidence that women and children’s health improve when they have connectivity. Most recently, he has focused his attention on India and the progress required to connect the majority of the country lacking internet access.
VISUAL CONTEXT: MOBILE v. DESKTOP INTERNET IN INDIA
Source: StatCounter: Global Stats
Zuckerberg announced a new arm of his project at the Internet.org Summit in New Delhi: A $1 million fund to help developers create applications specifically for farmers, migrants and women. Studies show that India’s internet penetration rate — while growing slowly — is still only at 15%. Recent research from McKinsey states: “About 75% of the offline population is concentrated in 20 countries and is disproportionately rural, low income, elderly, illiterate, and female.” Those are some of the groups targeted by Facebook’s newest project in India, where barriers to internet adoption lie in incentives for developers to develop and users to pay for access, and infrastructure requirements. The Economic Times quotes Zuckerberg on the challenges to bringing internet everywhere:
Mobile operators invest a lot of money, lowering costs is not easy. Infrastructure is the biggest barrier to internet, then technical issues. Language barriers are huge impediments to the internet…Connected people have better access to technology, education and jobs. When people are connected accomplishments are easy. We want to help build an internet which is affordable for everyone.
Providing incentives for app developers to create software specifically for those in rural regions is part of the way in which Zuckerberg is hoping to spread internet access. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly said that connecting India is a top priority, and he will be meeting with Zuckerberg to discuss Facebook’s initiative. The $1 million fund for apps in numerous Indian languages designed for the aforementioned groups of users will result in a contest in which Internet.org picks the four apps that will earn $250,000 each in backing.
Facebook has a lot to gain from connecting India’s 1.2 billion people, and funding apps is a baby step. The company will need to work with local developers, national and local mobile operators, and the government to really see through to its ultimate goal.
