Facebook celebrated one-year anniversary of the introduction of the Internet.org app by hosting a Developer Day at iHub in Nairobi, Kenya.

The app, which has increased the usage of the internet with about 50 per cent, accessed health services more than a million times just in the past month, Today Internet.org is available to more than a billion people. African countries where Internet.org has been launched include Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Senegal, Zambia, Ghana, Angola and Malawi.

Chris Daniels, Vice President of Internet.org, revealed that “by providing people with access to free basic services through Internet.org, our goal was to bring more people online and help them discover the value of the internet – and it is working.”

He continued: “Internet.org brings new users onto mobile networks on average over 50 per cent faster after launching free basic services, and more than half of the people who come online through  internet.org are paying for data and accessing the internet within the first 30 days. In the past month, people using Internet.org accessed health services more than a million times, this speak to the ultimate goal of Internet.org - helping to make an impact in people’s lives.”

Daniels also reiterated that the goal of the organisation as working with as many mobile operators and developers as possible extending the benefits of connectivity to diverse, local communities across Africa.

“We look forward to working in partnership with more mobile operators and developers to bring internet access and relevant basic internet services to the unconnected in the months to come," he concluded.