They ARE using other schemes. Internet userbase in India is growing at 4% every month! At this rate, it will reach 64% within two years - without internet.org!
According to that claim, with 1.04^12 ie 60% growth, the internet userbase is currently 40% of country. So we're supposed to be upset that 60% of the country, those without internet access, might access to fb for free?
edit: I accidentally plugged 12 months, not 24 months. 24 months gives 250% growth. I think your numbers are wrong; 150% growth to only 60% implies the current base is 24%???
Yes, 24% is about right. The 4% every month growth is for mobile BROADBAND users (phone + dongles). The current base of mobile BROADBAND (speed greater than 512kbps) users is 97m. I couldn't find the monthly growth rate for (non-mobile | non-broadband) internet users so I have assumed it to be the same. Total internet users in India were about 125m back in 2011.
My source for these numbers is TRAI (India's equivalent of FCC) reports. Happy to be corrected.
And no, the problem is NOT that some people get to use FB for free. The problem is that we have no reason to give a privileged treatment to FB, given that they are NOT contributing in expanding the network at all. FB doesn't bear the bandwidth costs for internet.org, the telcos do. And telcos are already regulated under TRAI and have corresponding obligations. If they want to do commercial deals like these, let us first open the telecom industry to full competition.
