Facebook Wants To Bring Free Basics To The US read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1186-facebook-wants-to-bring-free-basics-to-the-us

Facebook wants to bring its Free Basics service to the U.S. with the goal of giving limited Internet access to people who don't have it.

Free Basics, run by Facebook's internet.org group, is one tool it's using to connect the next billion people to the internet.

According to The Washington Post, Facebook is in talks with the government and wireless carriers to bring its "Free Basics" internet service to the U.S.

If the plan works, Facebook "would target low-income and rural Americans who cannot afford reliable, high-speed Internet at home or on smartphones," the report notes.

Facebook has run into trouble with Free Basics abroad. The program, which currently operates in 49 countries, was shut down earlier this year in India due to net neutrality concerns.

The Free Basics platform offers things like local news, weather, Wikipedia and Facebook access over your phone, and those sites that fall under its umbrella can be accessed without incurring a data charge.

US carriers, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, already offer similarly zero-rated programs, which provide free data for certain music, video, and internet services. 

“While we have nothing to announce,” The Company said in a statement, “Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and we’re always exploring ways to do that, including in the United States.”