Ooredoo on Wednesday announced that it is partnering with Facebook to offer free access to basic Internet services in the Maldives.
The Free Basics scheme gives users access to certain jobs, health, education and news sites, and, of course, to Facebook.
Facebook launched the scheme under the Internet.org banner two years ago and renamed its Website and mobile app Free Basics in September. It still uses the Internet.org name for the wider initiative, whose goal it is to provide Internet connectivity to the two thirds of the world that does not yet have it.
Free Basics is already available to over 1 billion people in Asia, Africa and Latin America, Ooredoo said in its announcement. Its Indosat subsidiary brought its services to Indonesia in April.
"Following the launch of Internet.org in Indonesia, with Free Basics we now seek to facilitate access to a range of valuable online resources and services also in the Maldives, hoping to achieve the same positive economic and social impact we are observing in other regions," said Ooredoo group CEO Nasser Marafih.
