CAIRO: Orange Telecom is partnering with Wikipedia in an effort to deliver the online encyclopedia free of all data charges to mobile users in the Middle East and Africa. The move has users excited about being able to use the digital library on a daily basis without charge. “It's really exciting, but we'll see if it will work and be implemented,” Tanya, a Kenyan user, told Bikyamasr.com The mobile phone operator said in a statement on Tuesday that the partnership is the first of its kind in world, has 70 million customers across Africa and the Middle East. However, the ability to access the Internet, and websites such as Wikipedia, is currently limited to about 10 million Orange customers who have mobile devices with 2G or 3G capability. Sue Gardner, a senior director at Wikipedia, said that the digital encyclopaedia. “Wikipedia is an important service, a public good, and so we want people to be able to access it for free, regardless of what device they're using,” said Sue Gardner, a senior director at Wikipedia. “This partnership with Orange will enable millions of people to read Wikipedia who previously couldn't.” The free service will be launched in 20 markets across 2012, with a spokesman from Orange saying that the aim is to increase the proportion of 2G and 3G phones to 50% of customers by 2015. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/2IcVM Tags: Orange, Telecom, Wikipedia Section: Africa, Tech
