Understanding the Use and Impact of the Zero-Rated Free Basics Platform in South Africa

Companies are offering zero-rated, or data-charge free Internet services to help bring unconnected users online where Internet access is less affordable. However, it is unclear whether these services achieve this goal or how they shape Internet use. To inform evidence-based policy around and the design of zero-rated services, we show in this paper how mobile users are making use of Facebook's controversial Free Basics platform. We present findings from interviews of 35 Free Basics users in South Africa: current low-income users and non-regular student users. Our findings suggest that Free Basics does shape Internet usage, for instance, users spend more time online because of `free' apps. Second, Free Basics saves users money but adoption of the platform depends on access to other `free' Internet options. Finally, most users are confused about how zero-rated services work and what `free' means. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for future work.