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Zuckerberg’s internet.org launches in Tanzania

internet.org, the Facebook-led alliance of mobile industry companies that researches and lobbies for lower cost internet access for the poor, has teamed up with Tanzanian network operator Tigo to launch its mobile app in the country.

The internet.org app was initially released in Zambia, and provides a simple interface to basic services such as healthcare information and news which is zero-rated for phone owners. Recently, it was updated to carry ebola-related info too, and it also offers access to Facebook, of course.

The Tanzanian app is available from today, and can be downloaded directly from internet.org or the Google Play store for Android handsets. It carries 16 separate apps ranging from Wikipedia to online shopping. In alphabetical order, they are:

As in the previous release of internet.org, several of the apps were developed here in South Africa by the Praekelt Foundation, which runs Joburg tech hub JoziHub. Its Universal Core Platform, which is designed to make accessing information through USSD menus easy, underpins the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) app, and BabyCenter – both of which offer help for mothers to be and new families. Praekelt’s tech is also in Girl Effect and Facts For Life, both of which contain information from UNICEF.

Tigo has over seven million subscribers. Overall, just 9.3 million Tanzanians out of total of 49.25 million people have internet access at the moment.

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