Tuesday 10 March 2015

FreeNet: Empowerment through Free Internet Connectivity

In the recent Delhi elections, besides the promises of free electricity and water, a certain political party's stand on 'free WiFi' played a significant role in its overwhelming win. It's another matter that people later found out that there were so many 'terms and conditions' attached to the free WiFi clause that the term free was reduced to a joke that was not funny at all.

Joke or no joke, the fact remains that after roti, kapda, makan, bijli and paani, internet now figures as one of the basic necessities of life. And why not, internet today is the most convenient tool to connect with the world - be it in terms of information exchange, gaining new knowledge, entertainment, socialising or shopping. And we all know that expensive internet data plans are a big deterrent in our yearning to always stay connected. A large chunk of the society cannot afford internet and thus cannot access the information that is available online, and this information deprivation, in turns affects the society and economy at large.

Acknowledging the importance and need of internet access to all in the developing countries, Facebook has collaborated with several mobile phone companies to bring affordable internet access for people around the world. This initiative, launched as the internet.org, is working at making internet connectivity feasible in areas where there is less or no internet penetration. In India, this internet revolution is being facilitated in partnership with Reliance communications.


In India, with internet.org, Facebook and Reliance have come together to provide a host of free services/websites to Reliance customers. Initially the FreeNet service is available to Reliance customers in 6 circles - Gujarat, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu/Chennai. The Reliance Prepaid (GSM/CDMA) and Postpaid GSM customers are not required to buy any special pack to use the FreeNet service. The internet.org app is available for download on android smartphones too. And here's a list of free websites and services available on internet.org

Category
Free Service
Communication
Facebook
Information
Manorama
Education
Jagran Josh
Entertainment
ESPN cricinfo
Entertainment
NDTV
Entertainment
Astrology
Finance
BabaJob
Finance
OLX
Finance
Reuters Market Lite
Finance
TimesJobs
Government
AP Speaks
Health
Malaria No More
Health
Facts for Life (Unicef)
Health
Social Blood
Information
Bing Search (Microsoft)
Information
Aaj Tak
Information
AccuWeather
Information
Amar Ujala
Information
BBC News
Information
IBN Live
Information
Daily Bhaskar
Information
Cleartrip
Information
Dictionary.com
Information
Jagran
Information
Maalai Malar
Information
Maharasta Times
Information
Newshunt
Information
India Today
Information
Times of India
Information
Translator
Information
wikiHow
Information
Wikipedia
Information
Reliance: 'Basics of Internet'
Women
BabyCenter & MAMA
Women
Nike Foundation (Girl Effect)
Women
UN Women (iLearn)
Entertainment
Hungama Music
Entertainment
Network 18

The websites and services offered through the FreeNet are a balanced bunch, ranging from news and other information to entertainment to eCommerce portals. For news, besides Hindi and English, there are websites catering to vernacular readers too. The FreeNet hamper also includes websites with focus on health news, weather updates and women empowerment.

Internet.org: Empowering the common man

With free access to so many useful websites, internet.org has revolutionised the concept of internet. And it's all accessible to EVERYONE. All you need is a Reliance connection. With FreeNet, internet.org is indeed empowering the common man.

1. FreeNet will provide users with information on the go, for free. If you have are on a Reliance network, you do not have to worry about expensive internet packs.
2. From latest news stories to health information to social media - FreeNet has a bundle of thoughtfully curated websites, suiting everyone's requirement.
3. The initiative gives the less privileged, particularly in the rural areas, an opportunity to connect, communicate and learn. For free.
4.  With the rapidly increasing number of mobile users in India, FreeNet will help in internet penetration in the interiors, thus enabling new users to access new knowledge, share their skills and in general benefit from the information available online.
5. As of now, the FreeNet service offers websites in 7 languages - English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati and Marathi - making it easier for more people to benefit from the service.

Indeed internet.or is a great initiative to make the perks of internet accessible to all and bridge the digital divide between cities and rural India. With the advent of FreeNet we can now look forward to internet revolution - with more people connected online and benefiting from the world wide web. The FreeNet service is at a nascent stage right now, but from the look of it one can be assured that in the coming times, more states are going to come under this service network. 

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