Wikipedia Zero
Wikipedia Zero is a project launched by the Wikimedia Foundation that offers the Wikipedia free access on mobile. Wikipedia Zero is one of the leading achievement in 2012, The Wikipedia Zero initiative is based on partnerships with mobile phone operators, By which the mobile operators agree to provide the free service of Wikipedia access on mobile, So the users need not to pay any data charge for Wikipedia Browsing.
The main Purpose of Wikipedia Zero is enable access to free knowledge for every last human being. Now the cost of mobile become cheap but the data usage charges remains same, So Wikipedia took the intention to enable the users to get knowledge when they need and want it.
Wikipedia Zero Expands Into Asia
Now the Wikipedia Zero service expanded into Asia via the partnership with the Digi mobile operators in Malaysia, The service will be available to 10 million subscribers in the country, So if you are a Digi customer and you have a Internet enabled phone in your hand then you are no longer away from free online encyclopedia.
But there are some limitations in free access, the free access will available mobile-centric text-only version of Wikipedia, which is available via the zero.wikipedia.org URL. So you will get only the text from the page in image turned off mode, If you click any chargeable external link then you will get warning message either you can continue or you can ignore if you continue with it you will be charged as per tariff .
Including Malaysia there are three Countries have getting this free service.
This is not the end, they planned to expand the Wikipedia Zero service to more Asian countries in 2012, The Wikipedia Zero Service will be available to the following countries in the coming months, like Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Serbia, Montenegro, and India, For that Telenor the parent company of Digi has signed a deal with Wikipedia to expand the free service.
It’s a sensational beginning and it would bring the gift of knowledge to a whole new set of people. As we hope the Wikipedia Zero will have to come more Asian countries it may happened soon.
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