Facebook's Zuckerberg Wants Free Internet Worldwide

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg says that a basic Internet service should be free of charge to everyone. He likened it to phone services where calling 911 (used for emergencies) carries no cost.

Zuckerberg discussed the topic in a Wall Street Journal article in which he promoted Internet.org, a project trying to expand Internet access around the world. The group is made up of Facebook, browser maker Opera, and several leading tech hardware and communication firms. (Source: internet.org)

The group's aim is for everyone in the world to have Internet access, something that only one-third of the global population do right now. According to Zuckerberg, that's a problem for Internet users as much as it for non-users. "Today we can only hear the voices and witness the imaginations of one-third of the world's people. We are all being robbed of the creativity and potential of the two-thirds of the world not yet online." (Source: wsj.com)

Smartphones The Key to Internet Expansion

According to Zuckerberg, smartphones are a relatively cheap way of expanding access compared with the costs and logistical problems of getting computers and fixed-line Internet access, particularly in developing nations.

Most of the emphasis of Internet expansion projects so far has been on reaching the world's most remote locations using techniques as diverse as satellites and even balloons. But Zuckerberg notes that 90 percent of the world's population is already in range of a cellphone network.

He says that the biggest challenge is instead the sheer cost of mobile data. Even in the United States, for an average customer who buys an expensive handset such as an iPhone and uses it for two years, around 75% of the total cost will be data charges.

Non-Paying Users Should Get Basic Internet Access

To combat this, Zuckerberg says we need a change in culture among cellphone service providers. "Our society has already decided that certain basic services over the phone should be free. Anyone can call 911 to get medical attention or report a crime, even if you haven't paid for a phone plan. In the future, everyone should have access to basic Internet services as well, even if they haven't paid for a data plan."

Zuckerberg says such a move would benefit service providers as well. He argues that free basic access would boost the number of people with a cellphone and that in turn many of these new users will later go on to subscribe to data services for heavier or faster access.

What's Your Opinion?

Do you agree with Mark Zuckerberg that basic Internet access should be free to every phone user? What benefits do you think expanding global access might bring? Do you believe phone companies can be persuaded to offer such service, or will it only be possible if existing users or taxpayers pick up the tab? Lastly, do you believe Zuckerberg's motives are with merit, or do you believe it's part of a larger for-profit agenda designed to benefit Facebook and its stockholders?