Meta announced that it will be shutting down the Express Wi-Fi operations this year. Though no official reason was given for winding down the operations, it might be connected with the recent report that customers were being charged using some of the company’s so-called free data services.
Launched in 2016, Express Wi-Fi is part of Facebook’s global initiative to spread internet connectivity. It was designed to provide low-cost internet in developing countries through partnerships with local communities, mobile operators and businesses. Meta started testing Express Wi-Fi in India in 2015 and, working with internet services providers (ISPs) and over 500 local entrepreneur retailers, have made it commercially available through nearly 700 hotspots across the four Indian states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.
It launched commercially in Nigeria, Kenya and India within a year of commencement. In Africa, it even recruited x-CEO Tigo DRC, Uche Ofodile, as Regional Head, Africa – Express Wi-Fi but she left the company within 2 years.
According to Meta in its announcement,
“After more than five years in operation, we are planning to wind down our Express Wi-Fi program.
Together with our partners, we helped expand public Wi-Fi access for people in more than 30 countries via the Express Wi-Fi platform. While we are concluding our work on this program to focus on developing other projects, we remain committed to working with partners across the telecom ecosystem to deliver better connectivity.”
Meta explains that as it concludes work on the program later this year, it’ll work closely with Express Wi-Fi partners to help minimize the impact to their businesses and their customer’s connectivity. The service is currently active in over 30 countries across Africa, Asia and South America
Early last year, Alphabet’s Google announced that it was shutting down project Loon, a similar initiative designed to provide access to internet in far flung areas in Sub-Saharan and Asian countries using air balloons or blimps. It stated that it was because it was taking too long to become commercially viable and it was riskier than it had hoped.
