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Facebook and Google both announced a host of partnerships aimed at making internet access globally ubiquitous at Mobile World Congress 2019 last week.
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The companies’ new partnerships support their respective connectivity initiatives: Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi is aimed at providing affordable internet access to rural areas of developing markets through partnerships with mobile operators and internet service providers (ISPs), while Google Station works with partners to provide free Wi-Fi connections at railroads, universities, and other public areas.
Here’s the latest on Facebook’s and Google’s efforts to tap into the “unconnected” population: Approximately 4 billion people globally — or around half of the global population — are without internet access.
- Facebook’s forging ahead to extend public Wi-Fi to more regions and to make deployments at scale easier. Facebook added CellC in South Africa, Vodafone in Ghana, and Globe in the Philippines as new partners launching Express Wi-Fi. It also partnered with Nokia, Aruba, and Edgecore Networks to build hardware and software powering Express Wi-Fi. And lastly, Cambium Networks is adding Facebook’s self-organizing mesh access (SOMA) tech to its Wi-Fi products to make Wi-Fi network deployments easier.
- Google Station and Cisco are teaming up to enable sustainable public Wi-Fi access to communities with limited connectivity. Cisco partnered with Google Station to offer it networking technology, finance capabilities, and global reach to scale Wi-Fi access.
Facebook and Google aren’t operating out of purely altruistic tendencies, though. Becoming the first point of contact for the “unconnected” in developing markets is a large part of their growth strategies. Over time, as infrastructure and internet connectivity reach these disparate locations, tech companies will be able to monetize these users.
Moreover, by reaching communities that are otherwise unconnected ahead of the rest of the market, Facebook and Google are likely hoping to capture mindshare, thereby encouraging loyalty to their platforms in the years to come.
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See Also:
- AT&T’s new smartwatch will drive transformation in healthcare
- HTC unveiled its new 5G smart hub at the opportune time
- Qualcomm’s Mobile World Congress announcements position it as a key driver of widespread global 5G adoption
SEE ALSO: 5G AND THE IoT: How the next generation of wireless technology will transform the IoT
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (George Paul)