No Result
View All Result
Saturday, April 1, 2023
Citi Business News
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Agriculture
    • Economy
    • General
    • Government
    • Local Economy
    • Top Stories

    BoG cautions against use of Ghana Cedi for bouquets and hampers

    CUTS International pushes for passage of Competition bill

    DBG partners UGBS to deepen development finance

    GH¢5.5bn approved by Parliament not only for Blackshield customers – SEC

    BoG assures of enhanced educational campaigns to ensure proper handling of local currency

    Youth in Accountable Governance calls for passage of outstanding revenue bills

    GRA reiterates calls for businesses to embrace  E-VAT

    IES predicts drop in fuel prices from April 1

    Journalists trained on the Enrolment of cocoa farmers in pension scheme

  • Business
    • All
    • Agribusiness
    • Banking And Finance
    • Manufacturing
    • Markets
    • Mining
    • Oil And Gas
    • Real Estate
    • Tourism
    • Transport

    CUTS International pushes for passage of Competition bill

    DBG partners UGBS to deepen development finance

    Bank of Ghana increases Monetary Policy rate to 29.5%

    Industry experts convene to discuss diversification strategies for pension funds

    It’s time to give women top posts in multilateral institutions – GCBL Chairman 

    Global Chamber of business leaders enters into partnership with IEFS

    Gold for Oil policy will save Ghana $4.8bn annually – Veep

    Energy Minister scheduled to speak on Ghana’s near-term opportunities at NAEPEC 2023

    Standard Chartered appoints Ebenezer Twum Asante as Chairman of Board of Directors

  • TECHNOLOGY

    Cyber Security Authority commences licensing and accreditation regime

    Twitter is reportedly planning to charge businesses $1,000 per month to keep gold verified checks

    Ghana withdraws $672m back-tax demand from MTN Group

    MTN to fight $773m tax bill from government

    Telcos to implement 1% E-Levy charge from today

    Huawei Equips 500 Traders in FinTech

    Africans urged to bolster adoption of Bitcoins

    What does 2023 hold? Predictions in payments for the year ahead for Africa

    Meta considered building a Twitter competitor to capitalize on Elon Musk’s ‘crisis’ at company

  • INTERNATIONAL
    • All
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • US

    Ghana and South Africa urged to leverage on AfCFTA to boost bi – lateral relations

    Silicon Valley Bank crisis: What led to stock crash, what lies ahead?

    Medical devices market projected to expand by $ 7.1 billion by close of year

    African Union adopts Africa Prosperity Dialogues AfCFTA action plan

    Third World Network Africa urges Africans to be strategic about AfCFTA

    5 important things to know about the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement

    $130bn and $170bn needed annually to bridge Africa’s infrastructural gap – Bawumia

    Feed Africa Summit: African Development Bank to commit $10bn to make continent breadbasket of the world

    Nigeria’s national debt hits an all time as the country struggles with repayment

  • FEATURES
  • Videos
Citi Business News
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Agriculture
    • Economy
    • General
    • Government
    • Local Economy
    • Top Stories

    BoG cautions against use of Ghana Cedi for bouquets and hampers

    CUTS International pushes for passage of Competition bill

    DBG partners UGBS to deepen development finance

    GH¢5.5bn approved by Parliament not only for Blackshield customers – SEC

    BoG assures of enhanced educational campaigns to ensure proper handling of local currency

    Youth in Accountable Governance calls for passage of outstanding revenue bills

    GRA reiterates calls for businesses to embrace  E-VAT

    IES predicts drop in fuel prices from April 1

    Journalists trained on the Enrolment of cocoa farmers in pension scheme

  • Business
    • All
    • Agribusiness
    • Banking And Finance
    • Manufacturing
    • Markets
    • Mining
    • Oil And Gas
    • Real Estate
    • Tourism
    • Transport

    CUTS International pushes for passage of Competition bill

    DBG partners UGBS to deepen development finance

    Bank of Ghana increases Monetary Policy rate to 29.5%

    Industry experts convene to discuss diversification strategies for pension funds

    It’s time to give women top posts in multilateral institutions – GCBL Chairman 

    Global Chamber of business leaders enters into partnership with IEFS

    Gold for Oil policy will save Ghana $4.8bn annually – Veep

    Energy Minister scheduled to speak on Ghana’s near-term opportunities at NAEPEC 2023

    Standard Chartered appoints Ebenezer Twum Asante as Chairman of Board of Directors

  • TECHNOLOGY

    Cyber Security Authority commences licensing and accreditation regime

    Twitter is reportedly planning to charge businesses $1,000 per month to keep gold verified checks

    Ghana withdraws $672m back-tax demand from MTN Group

    MTN to fight $773m tax bill from government

    Telcos to implement 1% E-Levy charge from today

    Huawei Equips 500 Traders in FinTech

    Africans urged to bolster adoption of Bitcoins

    What does 2023 hold? Predictions in payments for the year ahead for Africa

    Meta considered building a Twitter competitor to capitalize on Elon Musk’s ‘crisis’ at company

  • INTERNATIONAL
    • All
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • US

    Ghana and South Africa urged to leverage on AfCFTA to boost bi – lateral relations

    Silicon Valley Bank crisis: What led to stock crash, what lies ahead?

    Medical devices market projected to expand by $ 7.1 billion by close of year

    African Union adopts Africa Prosperity Dialogues AfCFTA action plan

    Third World Network Africa urges Africans to be strategic about AfCFTA

    5 important things to know about the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement

    $130bn and $170bn needed annually to bridge Africa’s infrastructural gap – Bawumia

    Feed Africa Summit: African Development Bank to commit $10bn to make continent breadbasket of the world

    Nigeria’s national debt hits an all time as the country struggles with repayment

  • FEATURES
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citi Business News
No Result
View All Result

Nairobi:Facebook takes on telcos with low-cost Internet

bycitibusinessnews
March 7, 2017
in Africa, East Africa
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Whatsapp

US tech giant Facebook has switched on its low-cost Internet in Nairobi, stepping up competition for telecommunication firms which earn significant revenue from users of the social networking site.

‘Express Wifi’ by Facebook, which is a joint project with Surf, a local Internet service provider, went live in Nairobi and its environs about three weeks ago after previous launches in Uganda, Nigeria and India.

The service is currently available in Thika, Ong’ata Rongai, Mlolongo, Limuru, Kitengela and Kiambu.

Facebook’s Express Wifi is similar to the Google balloon powered Internet (Project Loon) intended to take the Internet rural, remote areas.

The Express Wifi has a 10-day offer where users access 100MBs free daily package after which they are required to top up through recharge agents recruited in areas where it is available.

Daily Internet bundles cost Sh10 for 40 megabyte (mb) and Sh20 for 100mb while weekly Express Wifi bundles cost Sh50 for 300mbs and Sh100 for 500mb.

Monthly bundles cost Sh200 for 1.25 gigabyte (gb) and Sh500 for 3gb. Surf Kenya CEO Mark Summer said in an interview the prices could change after official launch of the service.

Safaricom offers daily Internet bundles at Sh50 for 65mbs while Airtel and Orange offers 50mbs and 400mbs for the same amount, respectively.

“With Express Wifi, we’re working with carriers, Internet service providers, and local entrepreneurs to help expand connectivity to underserved locations around the world,” said Facebook’s Internet.org in a statement.

“Express Wifi empowers local entrepreneurs to help provide quality Internet access to their neighbours and make a steady income. Working with local Internet service providers or mobile operators, they’re able to use software provided by Facebook to connect their communities.”

The tech giant says that they are using Internet access to drive economic opportunities and enable the free exchange of data and information, by ensuring that it is available, affordable, and allows usage that promotes positive social and economic outcomes.

Kenya ranks poorly in the affordability measure of The Inclusive Internet: Mapping Progress. On Average, the study carried out in 75 countries says that while 94 per cent of people live within range of a mobile signal, only 43 per cent have access to a 4G signal. People are therefore using the Internet less than they would if it was cheaper and faster.

“When people are able to purchase fast, affordable and reliable Internet, they’re able to explore the range of information it has to offer including news, education, health, job postings, entertainment, and communication tools like Facebook.”

The entry of Facebook’s Express Wifi in Kenya is likely to be met with a lot of opposition especially after the criticism the firm suffered in India last year prompting the country to block the service.

While the Express Wifi service, unlike Free Basics comes at a cost, its pricing model undercuts other key players in the market and this may ignite fresh price wars with key players locally.

India on the basis of Internet neutrality issue– which implies that Internet service providers should not create different pricing policies to favour those who can afford or discriminate against those who cannot– blocked free access to Facebook early last year.

ICT secretary Joe Mucheru in a past interview regarding India’s move said that the government would not stop access to Facebook for those who cannot afford just because someone else cannot provide the same service.

–

Credit: Business Daily

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Africa

Ghana and South Africa urged to leverage on AfCFTA to boost bi – lateral relations

byEmmanuel Oppong

The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Grace Jeanet Mason is urging businesses in Ghana and South Africa...

Read more

Medical devices market projected to expand by $ 7.1 billion by close of year

African Union adopts Africa Prosperity Dialogues AfCFTA action plan

Third World Network Africa urges Africans to be strategic about AfCFTA

$130bn and $170bn needed annually to bridge Africa’s infrastructural gap – Bawumia

Feed Africa Summit: African Development Bank to commit $10bn to make continent breadbasket of the world

Nigeria’s national debt hits an all time as the country struggles with repayment

Next Post

Nigeria to open up government airports to private investment

Video on Demand: Business Weekly

ADVERTISEMENT
Citi Business News

© 2019 Citi Business News - CitiBusinessNews.com by CNR Digital.

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • INTERNATIONAL
  • FEATURES
  • Videos

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • INTERNATIONAL
  • FEATURES
  • Videos

© 2019 Citi Business News - CitiBusinessNews.com by CNR Digital.