Facebook has launched a new app to complement its distributed Wi-Fi network in developing countries. The Facebook Express Wi-Fi app for Android will enable users in those countries to pay for Wi-Fi access. Users can launch the app to buy data packs and then find hotspots nearby to access the internet. It’s going to make the entire process a lot easier than before.
Before the Facebook Express Wi-Fi app for Android was released, users had to access the service through a mobile web browser or download an app from their local carrier. This would often involve having to reconfigure the handset’s settings which unnecessarily complicated matters. Moreover, neither method allowed users to find hotspots nearby.
All of those pain points have been addressed with this new app. Users in Indonesia and Kenya can now download the Facebook Express Wi-Fi app for Android and use it buy data packs and locate hotspots near their location easily. Facebook’s service is powered by local business owners who operate Wi-Fi hotspots that users nearby can then pay to access.
“Facebook is releasing the Express Wi-Fi app in the Google Play store to give people another simple and secure way to access fast, affordable internet through their local Express Wi-Fi hotspots,” the company said in a statement.
Even though the app is only available in a couple of countries right now, Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi service has actually been rolled out in five countries which include Tanzania, Nigeria, and India.