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Airtel Kenya has joined forces with the Wikimedia Foundation to launch a pilot project allowing customers in Kenya access to Wikipedia via a text messaging service

The new service, Wikipedia Zero, will first be rolled out in Kenya, targeting African users with restricted or no Internet connection.

Upon completion of the pilot project, the service is expected to provide Wikipedia access to 70mn new users in sub-Saharan Africa.

Customers will be able to search for an article by dialling *515# on their phones, and will receive a SMS message enabling them to search Wikipedia, Airtel said.

“We are thrilled that Airtel has joined us in removing two major barriers to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Not only are we making it freely available on the mobile web but we are also launching our first Wikipedia via text service that will allow people without data enabled phones to access Wikipedia,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, head of mobile at the Wikimedia Foundation.

“Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in sub-Saharan Africa is a strategic priority for the Foundation and this partnership is another step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” Wadhwa added.

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