Facebook is moving along with its goal to bring Web access to everyone in the world with the launch of a new app that provides people in Zambia with free basic Internet services.
Launched on Thursday, the new Internet.org app lets mobile users in the African country access a set of health, employment, and local information services without data charges. That includes: AccuWeather, Google Search, Wikipedia, women's rights app WRAPP, and, of course, Facebook, among others.
The app will first be available to Airtel subscribers in Zambia, and Facebook plans to roll it out to other parts of the world in the future. The move comes a year after Facebook launched its Internet.org effort to increase access to the Web, and bring the Internet "to the next 5 billion people."
"We believe that every person should have access to free basic Internet services — tools for health, education, jobs and basic communication," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Thursday post on his Facebook page announcing the new app.
He added that Facebook over the past year has been working with mobile operators around the world to make this vision a reality. The company has already helped 3 million people access the Internet.
At this point, only 15 percent of people in Zambia have access to the Internet, Zuckerberg said.
"Soon, everyone will be able to use the Internet for free to find jobs, get help with reproductive health and other aspects of health, and use tools like Facebook to stay connected with the people they love," he said. "This is a big step forward in achieving the mission of Facebook and Internet.org."
Facebook's Connectivity Lab has been working on the Internet access issue, eyeing drones, satellites, and lasers as a way to connect users worldwide.
In March, Zuckerberg said Facebook had acquired U.K.-based Ascenta, whose five-person team worked on early versions of Zephyr, the longest-flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft.
For more on Facebook's Internet.org app, check out the video above. Also watch PCMag Live in the video below, which discusses the rollout to Zambia.
Also check out other Internet access efforts in the slideshow above.
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I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.Â
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