Facebook Recommends 2G Connections To Staff

Facebook's workers now need to use low speed connections to simulate devices in underprivileged areas.

Facebook is persuading its workforce to stop using faster internet connections and start using the stumbling 2G connections more common in developing markets, with the launch of “2G Tuesdays”. Employees at the network giant’s campus in Silicon Valley, used to transport to and from the office in WiFi-supported buses, are being urged to avail slow internet connection speeds to help “build a better product for all of the people using [Facebook’s app]”.

Facebook News disclosed that on “2G Tuesdays”, workers are notified to offer them the option to simulate their cellular phones with a 2G connection to let them comprehend how to pioneer the application required coping up with the difficulties of using the poor internet connection.

According to Facebook News today, the company stated, “People are coming online at a staggering rate in emerging markets and, in most cases, are doing so on mobile via 2G connections. But on the lower end of 2G networks, it can take about two minutes to download a webpage.”

Facebook Breaking news reported that the company’s efforts to simulate devices with slow internet connections mimic measures by other international technology organizations achieving growth in other countries, such as India. Google, for example, has introduced an offline service for video-sharing platform, YouTube, and a slow speed version of its search service.

The social media giant is seeking to lure more people in growing markets towards the internet through its Internet.org program, which is known for offering 60 basic facilities and the social platform to people in 19 states free, by signing agreements with telecommunication companies who have claimed that the clients would make payments later.

Social network’s user-friendly initiative has faced criticism, especially in India – which is rapidly turning into one of the company’s most significant markets – for violating the principle of “net neutrality” that does not permit prioritization of web traffic and exclusive treatment.

Facebook has targeted the second most populated country, which is a home to 1.3bn people, and about 10% of whom utilize its platform. Most of them use WhatsApp for messaging, which is currently owned by the company as well.

The social media enterprise has internally estimated that the South Asian country would go ahead of USA as its biggest market in terms of users in the coming years. Research group, eMarketer, forecasts that it would reach 200 million users by 2017, having crossed 100 million in the initial part of 2014.