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Facebook is planning to provide free satellite Internet access in Africa

The social media firm has announced that it plans to use UK-based satellite operator Avanti’s broadband satellites to provide Africans with high-speed Internet service.

The free Internet project is a part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Internet.org initiative.

Zuckerberg’s Internet.org project aims to bring the Internet to the two-thirds of the world’s population that do not have access to it.

According to internet.org, global productivity would boost by 25 per cent and 160mn people would be lifted out of poverty if developing economies have a standard quality of Internet access.

The commercial deal with Avanti would help in covering a massive area of the continent at a relatively low cost, added Facebook.

Avanti operates two broadband satellites over Africa. The company is also plannning to launch another two satellites in the next three years, said an official source from the company.

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