Facebook’s Free Basics, a zero rated service providing free access to a host of websites, is now available as a non zero-rated service on mobile web. This means that users of mobile phones outside of Reliance Communications (RCOM) can also access the service through mobile data. Facebook had tied up with RCOM to provide Free Basics in India and would work only with RCOM SIM subscribers. We've written to Facebook and will update the article once we hear from them. Zero Rating of individual sites and platforms is a violation of Net Neutrality, since it allows telecom operators to make some sites or platforms cheaper to access than others. Free Basics not paused: Note that last month, the TRAI had reportedly asked RCOM to stop providing the Free Basics service temporarily and asked it to give TRAI a compliance report stating that the service had been stopped. RCOM had allegedly received this notice from TRAI two weeks ago. As of now the service is accessible through mobile data on Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and Tata Docomo connections (top image), where users can browse the partner websites through Internet.org. However, on Android, the service cannot be accessed through the app via either mobile data or through WiFi. Essentially, Free Basics being available to all telecom subscribers, RCOM or not, kind of makes it like a directory service like Yahoo, from where one could, once upon a time, navigate through the world wide web. Facebook has been lobbying to get support for its Free Basics service in India…
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