Facebook joins tech giants to launch "internet.org"

Mumbai ::Social networking giant Facebook has joined forces with six other technology giants including the likes of Nokia and Samsung to launch "internet.Org" with an aim to make Internet access affordable for people across the globe.

Focussed on enabling the next five billion people without access to come online, the founding members of the project include Facebook, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung.

The initiative will see the partners collaborate on developing lower-cost, higher-quality smartphones and deploying Internet access in underserved communities.

"Everything Facebook has done has been about giving all people around the world the power to connect. There are huge barriers in developing countries to connecting and joining the knowledge economy," Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement.

Internet.Org brings together a global partnership that will
work to overcome these challenges, including making internet access available to those who cannot currently afford it, he added.

"Our industry is now at an exciting inflection point where Internet connectivity is becoming more affordable and efficient for consumers while still offering them great experiences. Universal internet access will be the next great industrial revolution," Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop said.

Internet.Org is influenced by the "Open Compute Project", an industry-wide initiative that has lowered the costs of cloud computing by making hardware designs more efficient and innovative.