Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, displayed why he is one of the most affable CIOs on the scene today, when he acknowledge peer Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) deep-connectivity projects.
Zuckerberg, in the past year, has been very vocal with the attempts Facebook has been making in creating the doorway to access the internet, especially for new generation of internet users.
Internet.org and Connectivity
The Facebook CEO has primarily been using the non-profit internet.org to talk to internet service providers in emerging markets and creating the first-line of nearly free-to-use internet for first-generation users in these countries. A recent example has been the tie-up with local communications and internet giant in India, Reliance Communications, to offer data plans that allowed users’ free online access to Facebook and some websites, which the social networking site had approved.
For browsing other websites, users have the optional paid-data plans. Similar deals are already in place in remote rural areas of Africa and South America.
Besides, Facebook Inc has also dallied with other internet connectivity projects such as drones as well as satellites to create bridges of Internet connections, where traditional internet infrastructure is hard to deploy.
Similarly, Google Inc(NASDAQ:GOOGL) legacy in creating internet bridges in Australia, by way of balloons as part of ‘Project Loon’ has also had social impact in the regions where the company has executed such plans. It continues to adopt innovate technology to provide the last-mile connect.
Given the intense footprint both the technology giants have in creating loyal internet users, Zuckerberg’s recent remarks to Emily Chang (of Bloomberg Television) offer an interesting perspective on the relations between both the two companies. He acknowledged that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) track-record in connecting people finds resonance in his own company’s commitment to offer people the ‘platform to search and find information.’
If Zuckerberg’s willingness to work with the search engine giant finds the same level of enthusiasm from Google Inc leaders, then the world is just a step away from being ‘ fully connected’.
