Facebook partners Coollink to deploy ExpressWiFi Hotspots around Lagos

Facebook is deploying WiFi (ExpressWiFi) hotspots around Lagos.

The online social networking giant is doing this in conjunction with a local Internet Service Provider in Nigeria, Coollink.

According to a TechSuplex report, the service is expected to launch at some point this week, but is already in operation in some parts of Lagos, such as Ikota Shopping Complex.

ExpressWifi by Facebook is a new program that lets phone owners purchase data from local internet service providers. Effectively, Facebook is providing software that helps local ISPs and entrepreneurs sell and provide internet service in rural areas, which can be accessed via public Wi-Fi hotspots. Besides being a source of cheap internet, the program is also designed as a means of empowering entrepreneurs who get the Wifi equipment (including a 1Kva inverter) setup for free and make a 15% commission on each ExpressWifi data plan sale.

This will be the second deployment of ExpressWiFi by Facebook in a country after India which was done last month.

Users within Express Wifi coverage are able to browse the sites on Free basics for free, but additional browsing activity is charged. Internet plans on ExpressWifi start at N40 for 100MB daily and go all the way up to N1,600 for a 5GB monthly plan. Each ExpressWifi point is served by a 10Mbps connection which is shared across all the users.

Here’s a table of all the data plans currently available on the ExpressWifi by Facebook service and their costs.

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