Facebook Launches New Partner Program for its Express Wi-Fi initiative

Online social networking service company, Facebook has launched a new partner program for its Express Wi-Fi initiative called Wi-Fi Certified to offer fast and affordable internet access in developing markets.

Express Wi-Fi Certified will allow manufacturers build Wi-Fi hardware that is compatible with Express Wi-Fi. The company also revealed the Express Wi-Fi Certified partner ecosystem program, alongside the first three vendors to join the ecosystem.

The partners for the initiative include; Wi-Fi vendors Cambium Networks, Ruckus Wireless and switching company Arista Networks.

The Express Wi-Fi initiative is currently available in five countries; Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, India and Indonesia through ten partners across the five countries.

Access points developed by certified vendors will be designed to help devices better detect registration pages in order to help more devices connect to the networks and allow for data usage to be more accurately measured, in order to make it simpler to offer pre-paid Wi-Fi.

Express Wi-Fi aims to help local mobile operators, ISPs and enterprises to offer fast, affordable internet access to customers lacking such access.

Consumers typically access the hotspots by purchasing prepaid data packs through participating retailers.

“We’re excited to launch the Express Wi-Fi Certified program and have Cambium Networks as one of our early partners,” Facebook product lead for Express Wi-Fi Guy Mordecai said in a statement.

“Through our work with leading Wi-Fi vendors, we hope to expand the Express Wi-Fi ecosystem and accelerate innovation to provide a sustainable business model for fast and affordable Wi-Fi at a meaningful scale.”