After running the pilot for about 2 years, Facebook has finally launched Express Wi-Fi in India. The company has partnered with over 500 local entrepreneur-retailers and various internet service providers. Currently, Facebook has deployed nearly 700 hotspots across four Indian states including Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya and the company claims to extend the footprint in coming months.
Besides, Facebook has also joined hands with Bharti Airtel to launch additional 20,000 hotspots which will further serve millions of users across India. Apart from this, Express Wi-Fi has been deployed in partnership with ISPs AirJaldi in Uttarakhand, LMES in Rajasthan, Tikona in Gujarat, and soon with Shaildhar in Meghalaya.
To explain as to what will an Express Wi-Fi hotspot do, it will work like a normal Wi-Fi connection at different places offering you high Bandwidth to get online at affordable prices. Further, partnering with local entrepreneurs will enable them to spread the internet connectivity even more. Facebook aims to increase the total internet audience which is 390 million at present amounting to be about 30 percent of the total population of 1.3 billion.
Ajai Puri, Chief Operating Officer (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel said “We are delighted to be a part of this initiative to provide affordable access to high-speed data to users across India, particularly in the underserved segment. We believe this will help in empowering millions of Indians by bringing them online and contribute to the Government’s Digital India vision.”
To access the Express Wi-Fi, simply sign up with an Express Wi-Fi retailer and purchasing a daily, weekly or monthly data pack at a rate set by our partners. They will then be able to connect to the Express Wi-Fi hotspot, register/create an account, log in and start browsing or use any App on the entire internet.