Zuckerberg unveils plan for Internet access for all

Jon Swartz | USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg late Tuesday announced on his Facebook profile page the formation of a partnership with Samsung Electronics, Nokia, Qualcomm and others to make Internet access available to everyone on Earth.

The group — Internet.org — intends to make the Internet an option for the 5 billion people who don't have it. Only about one-third of the world's population – 2.7 billion – has Internet access.

"Everything Facebook has done has been about giving all people around the world the power to connect," Zuckerberg said in a post on his timeline. "There are huge barriers in developing countries to connecting and joining the knowledge economy. Internet.org brings together a global partnership that will work to overcome these challenges, including making internet access available to those who cannot currently afford it."

The founding members of Internet.org – which also includes Ericsson, MediaTek and Opera -- will develop joint projects, share knowledge, and mobilize industry and governments to bring the world online, according to Zuckerberg.

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