This article needs to beupdated.(November 2019) |
Google Free Zonewas a global initiative undertaken by the Internet companyGooglein collaboration with mobile phone-based Internet providers, whereby the providers waive data (bandwidth) charges (also known aszero-rate) for accessing select Google products such asGoogle Search,Gmail,andGoogle+.[1]In order to use this service, users were required to have a Google account and a phone that had access to an internet connection.[2]
History
edit- November 2012: Google Free Zone was announced by Google on November 8, 2012, with a launch in thePhilippinesin partnership withGlobe Telecom,with the experimental round scheduled to run until March 31, 2013.[3][4][5]Telkom MobileinSouth Africa,then branded as8ta,offered Google Free Zone 3 from 13 November 2012 but discontinued the service on 31 May 2013.[6]
- April 2013: launch in Sri Lanka on theDialogmobile network.[7]
- June 2013: Google launched Google Free Zone inIndiain partnership with mobile Internet providerAirtel,[8][9][10][11]and inThailandon theAISnetwork.
- December 2013: Airtel extended Google Free Zone to its services inNigeria.[12]
- March 2014:SafaricominKenyahad launched 60 day promotional Free Zone.[13][14]
Reception and impact
editA number of Internet commentators viewed Google Free Zone as both inspired by and a potential competitor toFacebook Zero.[15][16][17][18]
TheSubsecretaria de TelecomunicacionesofChileruled thatZero-ratingservices like Wikipedia Zero, Facebook Zero, and Google Free Zone, that subsidize mobile data usage, violatenet neutralitylaws and that the practice had to end by June 1, 2014.[19][20]
See also
edit- Alliance for Affordable Internet
- Facebook Zero
- Internet.org
- Project Loon
- Wikipedia Zero
- Zero-ratingZero Rating / Toll Free Data / Toll Free Apps
References
edit- ^"Free Zone powered by Google".Archived fromthe originalon May 2, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^"GOOGLE FREE ZONE FAQs - globe.com.ph".wap.globe.com.ph.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-03-01.Retrieved2017-03-01.
- ^"Google and Globe Launched Free Zone in the Philippines".Filsupport.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^Lloyd, Craig (November 8, 2012)."Google launches Free Zone, aims to bring Google services to feature phones".SlashGear.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^Wagstaff, Jeremy (November 8, 2012)."Free Zone, Google For The Developing World, Launched For 'Next Billion Users' Of Internet".Huffington Post.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^"Free Zone powered by Google is no more".mybroadband.Retrieved15 November2014.
- ^"Dialog and Google team up to launch Free Zone".Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2014.Retrieved15 November2014.
- ^"With Airtel and Google's Free Zone, access Web pages free".ciol.com.June 26, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon May 5, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^Rana, Gogi (June 27, 2013)."How to use Airtel Free Zone and access Google services for free".RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^Matuloko, Muyiwa (December 20, 2013)."Google Offers Airtel Customers Free Internet".Tech Cabal.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^"airtel free zone".AirTel.June 26, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon January 16, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^"airtel Free Zone".December 17, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon June 17, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^"Safaricom offers free Google".Biztech Africa.Retrieved15 November2014.
- ^"Staying ahead of the curve"(PDF).
- ^"Google Free Zone".Google Operating System blog (not affiliated with Google). October 25, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^Knowles, Jamillah (November 8, 2012)."The Philippines gets Facebook Zero-style free mobile access to Google services via Globe Telecom".RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^"Google Free Zone: Google's Challenge to Facebook Zero".Jana Mobile Inc. December 3, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon January 25, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^Deibert, April (February 19, 2013)."Google 'Free Zone' and Facebook 'Zero': Products Targeting Developing Populations".Innovation Series.RetrievedJanuary 15,2014.
- ^Mirani, Leo (May 30, 2014)."Less than zero – When net neutrality backfires: Chile just killed free access to Wikipedia and Facebook".Quartz.RetrievedJuly 2,2014.
- ^McKenzie, Jessica (June 2, 2014)."Face Off in Chile: Net Neutrality v. Human Right to Facebook & Wikipedia".Archived fromthe originalon July 5, 2014.RetrievedJuly 2,2014.