Facebook has tried to bring in Free Basics into India with very poor reception while Microsoft and Google are being fully embraced. Mark Zuckerberg has gone through great lengths to convince India that this system will make the country more connected. Microsoft and Google have an entirely different approach.
Facebook Struggles With India
Mark Zuckerberg even published a co-written article about the benefits of Free Basics, but the truth is that it has no future in the country. The main criticism that Mark Zuckerberg has come across is the fact that his approach is trying to dictate what Indian people have access to and how they can access it. This makes a sure shot for more Facebook and Facebook-related applications getting more public.
Microsoft Takes A Very Different Approach
Microsoft has offered their services instead of forcing them into the Indian people. They have offered all of their services to new and ambitious startups in India, and were quoted as being very interested in the country’s emerging markets.
Google Brings in Free High-Speed Wi-Fi
Google announced today that they will offer free high-speed Wi-Fi services to the Mumbai Central Station in the city of Mumbai. This is the company’s first step to get Wi-Fi in 400 train stations in the country. Their goal is not only to connect more spots in India, but also to increase their presence in the Indian market.
After China, India has the largest number of Internet users. However, only a third of the country has access to it. The other two-thirds are Google’s target audience. Coincidentally, this is the same target that Facebook’s Free Basics is trying to engage.
300 Indian Train Stations Will Be Connected
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company will be installing Wi-Fi Indian railway stations. This came right after India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Google’s grounds in California. Google will be tackling 100 of India’s busiest train stations this year, and eventually, 300. Google doesn’t want to only stick to Mumbai; they’ll be expanding to Allahabad, Jaipur, Patna and Ranchi.
This is the largest public Wi-Fi project in the world, and it will be connecting 10 million people through those first 100 stations. Mobile internet is becoming a lot more accessible to commuters in India. It will be available at full speed and allow for HD video stream. It’ll slow down after one hour of use.
