Google Free Zone

**Google Free Zone** was a global initiative undertaken by the Internet company Google in collaboration with mobile phone-based Internet providers, whereby the providers waive data (bandwidth) charges (also known as *zero-rate*) for accessing select Google products such as Google Search, Gmail, and Google+. In order to use this service, users are required to have a Google account and a phone that has access to an internet connection.

## History

* November 2012: Google Free Zone was announced by Google on November 8, 2012, with a launch in the Philippines in partnership with Globe Telecom, with the experimental round scheduled to run until March 31, 2013. Telkom Mobile in South Africa, then branded as *8ta*, offered Google Free Zone 3 from 13 November 2012 but discontinued the service on 31 May 2013.
* April 2013: launch in Sri Lanka on the Dialog mobile network.
* June 2013: Google launched Google Free Zone in India in partnership with mobile Internet provider Airtel, and in Thailand on the AIS network.
* December 2013: Airtel extended Google Free Zone to its services in Nigeria.
* March 2014: Safaricom in Kenya had launched 60 day promotional Free Zone.

## Reception and impact

A number of Internet commentators viewed Google Free Zone as both inspired by and a potential competitor to Facebook Zero.

The *Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones* of Chile ruled that *Zero-rating* services like Wikipedia Zero, Facebook Zero, and Google Free Zone, that subsidize mobile data usage, violate net neutrality laws and had to end the practice by June 1, 2014.

## See also

* Alliance for Affordable Internet
* Facebook Zero
* Internet.org
* Project Loon
* Wikipedia Zero
* Zero-rating Zero Rating / Toll Free Data / Toll Free Apps

## References

1. ↑ "Free Zone powered by Google". Google. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
2. ↑ "GOOGLE FREE ZONE FAQs - globe.com.ph". *wap.globe.com.ph*. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
3. ↑ "Google and Globe Launched Free Zone in the Philippines". Filsupport. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
4. ↑ Lloyd, Craig (November 8, 2012). "Google launches Free Zone, aims to bring Google services to feature phones". SlashGear. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
5. ↑ Wagstaff, Jeremy (November 8, 2012). "Free Zone, Google For The Developing World, Launched For 'Next Billion Users' Of Internet". *Huffington Post*. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
6. ↑ "Free Zone powered by Google is no more". *mybroadband*. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
7. ↑ "Dialog and Google team up to launch Free Zone". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
8. ↑ "With Airtel and Google's Free Zone, access Web pages free". ciol. June 26, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
9. ↑ Rana, Gogi (June 27, 2013). "How to use Airtel Free Zone and access Google services for free". Retrieved January 15, 2014.
10. ↑ Matuloko, Muyiwa (December 20, 2013). "Google Offers Airtel Customers Free Internet". *Tech Cabal*. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
11. ↑ "airtel free zone". AirTel. June 26, 2013. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
12. ↑ "airtel Free Zone". December 17, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
13. ↑ "Safaricom offers free Google". *Biztech Africa*. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
14. ↑ "Staying ahead of the curve" (PDF).
15. ↑ "Google Free Zone". Google Operating System blog (not affiliated with Google). October 25, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
16. ↑ Knowles, Jamillah (November 8, 2012). "The Philippines gets Facebook Zero-style free mobile access to Google services via Globe Telecom". Retrieved January 15, 2014.
17. ↑ "Google Free Zone: Google’s Challenge to Facebook Zero". Jana Mobile Inc. December 3, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
18. ↑ Deibert, April (February 19, 2013). "Google ‘Free Zone’ and Facebook ‘Zero’: Products Targeting Developing Populations". Innovation Series. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
19. ↑ Mirani, Leo (May 30, 2014). "Less than zero – When net neutrality backfires: Chile just killed free access to Wikipedia and Facebook". Quartz. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
20. ↑ McKenzie, Jessica (June 2, 2014). "Face Off in Chile: Net Neutrality v. Human Right to Facebook & Wikipedia". Retrieved July 2, 2014.