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Zuckerberg offers free app in Colombia

by on15 January 2015


Not ready for China yet

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg launched a free Internet application in Colombia on Wednesday as part of a drive to bring developing markets online, but refused to say if he was ready to push into China yet.

Colombia is the first nation in Latin America and the fourth in the world to receive the new Internet.org service, in partnership with local mobile phone provider Tigo, but the aim is to push the app globally, Zuckerberg said.

The mobile app, aimed at low income and rural users, offers more than a dozen tools via the Android operating system - like encyclopedia Wikipedia, weather websites, job listings and health information, as well as Facebook's own social network and messaging service - without the user incurring any data charges. It has already been launched in three countries in Africa, including Zambia.

It was Zuckerberg’s first trip to Bogota, and he thinks the app would spread very quickly as phone operators reap the benefits of increased revenue from new customers using the services.

"Our goal is to make the Internet.org programme available across the world and to help everyone get connected to the Internet," the 30-year old Zuckerberg said.

"We're going to look back a year from now and there will hopefully be a lot more countries that have programs like this."

Although he declined to say where the programme would be launched next, he is betting the application will soon be the "default" among mobile operators worldwide to expand Internet access. Those not offering the service will be "lagging" behind.

Asked when he would look to move into China, Zuckerberg said: "Who knows ... that's very different."

Zuckerberg and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun discussed a potential investment by Facebook in China's top smartphone maker ahead of its $1.1 billion fundraising last month, but a deal never materialised. The company has declined comment.

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