Breaking: Facebook Partners with Telenor to Launch Internet.org in Pakistan

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Facebook, in collaboration with Telenor Pakistan, is launching its internet.org initiative in Pakistan tomorrow, we have checked. Official launch will be made at an event planned for tomorrow where high-ups from Telenor and Facebook will be announcing their plans about internet.org in Pakistan.

For those who don’t know, Facebook’s internet.org is a global initiative where selected internet or selected websites are made available to users for free. Internet.org is mainly aimed for developing markets where devices and data rates are beyond the affordability of commoners.

Facebook partners with telecom companies, content providers, to make these selected websites available to their consumers. Internet.org, which is currently available in six countries, is aiming to reach at least 100 countries by the end of next year.

Telenor users can expect around 20 websites to be available for free browsing

With tomorrow’s launch, Pakistan will become seventh country where Internet.org will be available for masses. Facebook’s contract with Telenor will not be exclusive in nature, and hence other operators will also be allowed to join the program.

While we don’t have confirmed details, Telenor users can expect around 20 websites to be available for free browsing.

Pakistan currently has over 14 million 3G/4G users, while this number is expected to cross 30 million with-in next eighteen month.

Michael Foley, Telenor’s CEO, in a recent interview with ProPakistani had hinted about its partnership with Facebook. Telenor CEO had said that his company will be looking for ways to attract customers towards internet.

Internet activists, on the other hands, criticize that internet.org violates net neutrality norms as not all of the internet is made available for free. Instead, certain websites, which of course include Facebook, are allowed for free while rest of the internet is charged as per usual rates.

Critics say that internet.org is intentionally or unintentionally killing the rest of internet as only selected internet or selected opinion/ideas are bombarded that can be dangerous in the long run, especially because not everyone can join the program.

All publishers can apply to become part of internet.org program, however, not everyone is accepted as they have to follow certain rules/guidelines even if they have to compromise with quality of the content.

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


    • It can mean the world youngsters who can now visit wikipedia. 5,6 years back when there was only 2G and sometimes free GPRS, i’d spend hours reading wikipedia articles in bus/van on routine to uni / home.

      Much better than than the free facebook/twitter offers these telecom companies are giving locally.

      • Hehe, i also did the same a few years back.. wikipedia pr buhut zyada ghantey guzarta… aur apni knowledge barhata

  • Now thats a good initiative. Telenor has always been very creative with its products & services.

  • Telenor ke sath he partnership kerni the, dono Norway ki companies hein.

  • Brace yourself.. “Shaitan aap ko Roke ga” & “agar hollywood ke haramkhor actors ko like mil sakte hain to is Quran parhte chootu ko kyu nae” Memes are going to increase 10 folds from now… :D

  • Indeed a great initiative by Telenor Pakistan. I’m proud to be a Telenor user as they always come with great initiative and ideas for their users…. Love u Telenor.

  • ‘Tomorrow’ is here, and there is no news of internet.org on Facebook’s official page nor on Facebook’s official “internet.org” page. I couldn’t find anything on Telenor Pakistan’s page either. How authentic is this news, anyway? :/

  • Word “Free” is always a big attraction to people in pakistan and it is very unfortunate that they dont go after consequences which comes with word Free. what is the point to provide only 20 websites ? or even 50 ? free internet should mean “free internet for sure” i have read in many articles that Mark’s idea of free internet is being criticized by experts because of few concerns which includes, privacy, not actually free and much more.

    Well, as i said we are happpy that we will get free internet and though its good for nothing

  • Good, great stuff. Social networking, although you can easily target it for time wasting sites, they more than that connect people and ideas. Change comes through expression, and this initiative will bridge the gap between people and their voices.


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