Likely details of how it all works. First let's look at some technical details, 1) Internet.org is an app or available through browsers with proxies (UC/Opera). This implies it's a proxy based service that's largely well supported on android smartphones and a small set of feature phones that can run opera mini or UC. 2) Internet.org is available to everyone in a participating carrier. So if it's offered on reliance, you can use the app whether you have truckloads of data or not. 3) The app probably hits facebook's proxy servers that help render content from participating sites. Reliance, or the participating carrier, sets up their systems to charge a different billing for that traffic. Proxy browsers can likely segment traffic and pass details to carrier similarly. If this is indeed the case, then a couple of points follow: This IS tiered billing. This IS preferential treatment. The business dynamics are different, but the technical details are the same. 4) How to curate content on internet.org is up to facebook or participating carrier. With the set up described, it's possible to add new sites, remove new sites or, well, alter content on participating sites.

In light of this, let's look at some business details. 1) Data use is clearly more profitable than SMS/Voice use. Given that this is a smartphone app. Is this more geared to encourage "data use habits" than to give internet access to people who don't have it? You decide. 2) This is the current business model, we have seen evolutions of this business model already - Airtel Zero. Think this through, what's next after Airtel Zero? Think of the business models you can build on these established technical know-how. We know telcos have a lot of business people. 3) To offer this service, you need to already have existing infra and clients capable of getting online, therefore accessibility boils down to an economic play. 4) Race to the bottom - if you make unfettered data access so cheap that everyone can get online, what do telcos do next? They just lower margins and .. well.. how about doing something that's almost there instead? 5) Why isn't every carrier offering this? Maybe the carrier who spent so much data to participate in this sees this offering as a competitive advantage and not a philanthropic endeavour? 6) Assuming you have a good breadth of curated content and if people do come online via these services, what will they use for getting stuff done online? Will they use the services that are readily available or will they go through the trouble of searching online, finding something that's better and use it? Is the lower cost of access now a competitive advantage for participating services? How different is this from faster access being a competitive advantage?

I'll stop here for now. The first hit is always free.