Facebook-ISPs ink pacts for faster internet access

BENGALURU:  Social media giant Facebook said on Tuesday that it has partnered with two Internet Service Providers (ISP) De-voice and Net Plus in order to expand the outreach of affordable internet in India. The ISPs will be using Facebook Connectivity’s Express Wi-Fi platform to launch public Wi-Fi hotspots across Bangalore and many other cities of Punjab to provide people with fast, affordable, and reliable internet over Wi-Fi.

Facebook said that amid the Covid-19 crisis, its software platform Express Wi-Fi was widely used with network providers to disseminate vital information to smaller communities. Express Wi-Fi is a software platform developed by Facebook Connectivity that enables mobile operators, satellite operators, and internet service providers to build, grow, and monetize their Wi-Fi businesses in a sustainable and scalable way, while providing their customers with a faster, higher-quality and more affordable internet.

D-Vois, which operates its broadband services under brand ION, has signed a partnership with Facebook in Bangalore, where it has deployed approximately 1,000 access points. The company provides Wi-Fi coverage across key government buildings, hospitals, streets, and other high footfall public areas. Netplus Broadband, the internet arm of Fastway Group, offers high-speed internet to small and medium businesses, among others in Punjab and some other cities.