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Facebook Brings Express Wi-Fi To Ghana, Quietly Expands Free Basics To Morocco and Laos (venturebeat.com)
More than a year after Facebook commercially launched Express Wi-Fi in five markets, it is ready to bring the connectivity service to the sixth: Ghana. From a report: In partnership with telecom operator Vodafone Ghana, Facebook today launched Express Wi-Fi, part of Internet.org initiative, in the suburban communities of the Western African nation. The service, available locally in Nima, James Town, Kanda, Pig Farm, and Abossey Okine in the capital city Accra, will aim to offer "carrier-grade Wi-Fi" to people living in some remote communities that lack fiber optic cables.
Ever since India booted Free Basics in early 2016, Facebook has seemingly grown cautious about its connectivity efforts. The company has stopped updating the social media page and press page of Internet.org. Last year, we learned that Facebook had quietly pulled Internet.org from a handful of emerging markets. In recent months, however, it has quietly expanded Internet.org to two new markets -- Morocco (in North Africa) and Laos (in Southeast Asia).
Ever since India booted Free Basics in early 2016, Facebook has seemingly grown cautious about its connectivity efforts. The company has stopped updating the social media page and press page of Internet.org. Last year, we learned that Facebook had quietly pulled Internet.org from a handful of emerging markets. In recent months, however, it has quietly expanded Internet.org to two new markets -- Morocco (in North Africa) and Laos (in Southeast Asia).
Did they ask the people of Ghana if they were even wanted there in the first place?
The first hit is free, at least.
The problem is, Facebook won't stop hitting you, even if you cry or ask nicely.
Battered wife syndrome is the only reason people still use it.
Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
that 'carrier grade' would imply 'big dumb pipe' with no throttling, no filtering, no limits, no blocking, no favoritism?
for your convenience^W^Wtheir profit.
You're the product. Suck it up and like it. All hail teh zuck, king of teh intarwebbart00bz.
Facebook is in the Surveillance business.
Please let's be honest and stop pretending they're doing this out of altruistic causes to help these countries.. it's about letting the old NSA and CIA get a foot in, and collecting data for marketing purposes.
Don't forget to use these before using the internet.
https://www.vpngate.net/en/ (OpenVPN/L2TP)
https://www.torproject.org/ (Orfox/Tor)
Both are free, and better than any paid VPN service.
Of course, those aren't available on "free basics by internet.org", since that's really a portal for teh zuck's finest (and a few of his paying friends) ONLY. They'll only allow the traffic that might bring them money, and everything else is just not allowed. That's more restricted than the internet in China. "The internet" you certainly won't get via internet.org's "free basics". This makes teh zuck's internet.org pernicious and damaging.
What will the Nigerian Princes who need to give away millions of dollars do to combat the new Ghanan Generals looking to move millions out of their country?
I was there years ago when it was still virgin and pure. Such a peaceful place but I couldn't escape the fact that the sitcom friends was blaring in every establishment that catered to Westerners. That's what we were pushing on them back then. Now it's facebook. Brining the neo liberal post-family slavery worldwide.
I just got an offer from my friendly local dealer: the first shot is free. Dunno if he said "heroine" or "crack" or what -- his language was a bit mushy.
Since it was free, I took it, of course.
I mean: facebook (and Zuckerberg, very personally) are real assholes. Last week he had a piece in Le Monde [1], The Wall Street Journal and other high-profile publications about how he wants to bring people together, blah, blah.
And about how he doesn't sell your data. Remember Cambridge Analytica? Money changed hands back then. How' that not "selling your data"?
Liar.
This guy gets prime-time in big journals for free to spew his outright lies.
While the fake news machine continues full-steam, with a couple of fig leaves as decoration [2].
Again: liar.
[1] Le Monde samedi 16 janvier 2019, Idées, p. 7
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/te...
Facebook acting as a cutout for Russian shit-mongery as usual.
All those Africans will get online for the first time, and think that Western streets are paved with gold, with everything that entails...
Facebook are doing nothing but making mischief for Russia and the West's other enemies.