Facebook partners with Coollink to bring cheap WiFi to Lagos

Authors:

folarin okunola

August 30, 2016 9:26 AM

The service is expected to launch sometime this week, but is already available in certain places such as the Ikota Shopping Complex.

ExpressWiFi by Facebook

Following a successful launch in India, Facebook is bringing WiFi hotspots around Lagos via a program called ExpressWiFi.

The social media giant is undertaking the project via a partnership with local Nigerian internet service provider Coollink.

According to a report on , the service is expected to launch sometime this week, but is already available in certain places such as the Ikota Shopping Complex.

"ExpressWifi by Facebook is a new program that lets phone owners purchase data from local internet service providers. Effectively, Facebook is providing software that helps local ISPs and entrepreneurs sell and provide internet service in rural areas, which can be accessed via public Wi-Fi hotspots. Besides being a source of cheap internet, the program is also designed as a means of empowering entrepreneurs who get the Wifi equipment (including a 1Kva inverter) setup for free and make a 15% commission on each ExpressWifi data plan sale," says a statement on the product.

This will be the second time Facebook is deploying ExpressWiFi in a country after it did same in India last month.

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Users within the Express WiFi coverage area will be able to browse the sites of Facebook Free basics platform for free but other online activity will be require a fee.

Internet plans on the ExpressWiFi platform start at N40 and go as high as N1600 per month. Each Express WiFi point benefits from a 10mbps connection which is shared by all users.

Check out the list of plans currently available on the ExpressWiFi by Facebook platform and their costs:

Data bundleCostValidity

100MB N40 24hrs

300MB N110 24hrs

750MB N270 7 days

2GB N700 7 days

3GB N1000 30 days

5GB N1600 30 days

You can sign up for a 14-day free trail on the ExpressWiFi by Facebook website.

Authors:

folarin okunola