African here: I'm really really glad more and more counties are seeing behind the facade Facebook is putting.
(Earlier post) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10816991
(Earlier post) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10816991
> Mind if I ask how you usually access HN?
My PC, with WiFi at home.
> Do you know anyone who would consider something like free basic?
I would. Already, mobile networks have Facebook and Wikipedia (iirc) zero-rated. Meaning you pay nothing to use those services. My startup is trying to get zero-rating on Vodafone to encourage our customers to use our service.
Having free access to some useful sites is a plus. Having my Internet restricted to those sites is a minus.
What is the process of getting zero-rating like?
Are you glad that zero rating exists in your market?
I don't know. As far as I can tell (what we're doing) we're speaking to the telcos directly. There's no formal process for getting zero-rating. We have an investor/incubator relationship with Vodafone Ghana. Zero-rating our service is just one of the things we're negotiating.
> Are you glad that zero rating exists in your market?
Uhh...I should put my current feelings in context.
I didn't care much 2-3yrs ago because these were marketed as carrier promos, and telcos in Ghana have a bad reputation already. It was none of my business until word went round that MTN (the largest in Ghana, huge across Africa) will start charging special rates for using certain apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, the usual.
The response in our small tech community was mixed. A lot of people I asked weren't aware, but there few that were, were truly outraged.
I didn't follow the news but it seemed other telcos started moving in that direction, then backed down. All the while, 0.facebook.com was still promoted on billboards in Accra.
So it's two things: you can get useful services for free (so you remain subscribed to the network, I guess) or you can be charged specially for using a service that really matters.
My feelings are mixed at this point but I'd much rather prefer a neutral net than one that can favour or penalize services. That leaves an uncomfortable room for abuse.
> ...who would consider something like free basic?
I can't put a number on it but from what I've observed it's SCARY to see the consequences if Free Basics took off. All internet cafes already have Facebook as the default page (most people don't even know how to logout, they just close the tab).
One thing that gives me hope is that people also know Google (I personally use DDG).
So, they have convinced telcos to give free-basics for free for the poor and soon they will see them switching to full internet. And in the process people will get addicted to fb too.
Poor - Win
FB - Win
Telcos - Win
I don't understand, why people are only seeing non net-neutrality way of making money from this. There are ways for them to make money in the above way too.
It's definitely a front for what Comcast et al have been trying to do to destroy net neutrality. The only difference is that it's under the guise of a "helping the poor" facade, and you've been fooled by it.
Why to kill something when you are not sure that it will definitely result in non net neutral internet. If there are people doubting it, then you must wait till it really makes the web non neutral, then the government can interfere. Government just have to give one notice to the telcos to stop this.
This is one experiment which is worth trying.
They're a for-profit company that is violating net neutrality and damaging ISP market growth in developing nations. Your logic justifying this as an "experiment" is just as unethical as the logic behind something like the AZT trials.