Egypt pulls Facebook’s free limited internet initiative off the air

Egypt has shut down Facebook’s initiative to provide limited free internet, the Free Basics project. The license that telecom provider Etisalat needs to be able to offer the service has not been extended.

Free Basics started in Egypt two months ago, but the provider of the service, Etisalat, was only licensed for those two months. In a conversation with Reuters, the Egyptian Ministry of Telecommunications has said that the license has not been renewed. It is unknown why it was not renewed, but Etisalat will release a statement later in the day.

In a message to the AP, a spokesperson for Facebook indicated that more than a million people in Egypt had internet access thanks to the initiative. The people behind Free Basics are therefore disappointed and hope for a quick solution. They also do not indicate why the license has not been renewed. A spokesperson for the ministry says that it is in any case not due to security risks. Egypt has blocked social media during protests in the past.

Free Basics is Facebook’s initiative to bring limited free internet to people who can’t afford an internet connection. The program is based on internet.org, an initiative to provide internet to people who don’t have it now. Internet.org partners with companies such as Samsung and Qualcomm, headed by Facebook. Free Basics makes it possible to use Facebook, BBC and Wikipedia, for example.

Earlier this month, the Free Basics program was halted in India. This is because the program may violate the net neutrality principle. Several critics in India are against Free Basics because it puts small businesses and beginners at a disadvantage. The authorities in India will make a decision, according to Reuters.