Facebook's Express WiFi Android App out
Social media giant Facebook has seen a down-market in the number of users last year. In the fourth quadrant of 2017, Facebook has lost users from US and Canada. It seems Facebook is worried about losing users in developing countries.
The result is what we saw, Facebook striving for Net neutrality from 2017. The first attempt was Free Basics (internet.org), an idea of providing all the necessary websites to everyone for free, which utterly failed. Now, Facebook's second attempt Express WiFi has been doing rounds in tech market from the last quadrant of 2017.
What is Express WiFi?
Facebook will set up express wifi hotspots by connecting with local Internet Service Providers or Data Providers. So once you install the app, you will be able to see these express wifi spots on the map. Using the app, you can add money to your account and use this to connect to the nearest express wifi hotspot.
If no free hotspots are available to connect for you, you can use the money in your account to buy data packs at reasonable prices. As Facebook says, the mission is to provide faster connectivity in what all you places go rather than using the loitering data provided by mobile networks for such higher prices.
How can you get it?
For now, Express WiFi is available only in five of the developing countries viz., India, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Indonesia. Earlier, users had to go to a website or download individual hotspot provider app to access the data packs. Now all you need to do is get the app on playstore just like you get every other app.
It's still not fully functional in INDIA but is now live in Kenya and Indonesia.It could be around a month or more before you could actually use the app.
To conclude, unlike their first plan of providing the restricted web for free, this idea of providing faster connectivity to wherever you go at reasonable prices is worth a shot.
