Facebook is approaching 2 billion active users.
Facebook’s recent investments in emerging markets will unlock more room for growth.
Facebook’s investment in Africa
After visiting numerous tech hubs in Africa, Zuckerberg and his FB team have laid out a grand plan to get more Internet access across to the 800 million Africans who are currently unconnected.
The first plan involves the laying of a gigantic network of subsea cable that will run through the Atlantic. In partnership with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), this cable network will provide Internet facility to facilitate the use of cloud-based apps and other services to users cutting across America, Europe and, Africa.
Other Investments include:
Andela
Mark Zuckerberg made an investment earlier in the year in Andela, a startup that trains youths in Africa to become world-class developers. He invested $16 million in the startup through his foundation because he believes the next generation of developers will come from Africa. Apparently, that was just the beginning.
Free Basics
This serves to make websites on the Facebook network free to surf. This service will make Internet available to those who cannot afford quality Internet services. This serves the continent better when compared to Express Wi-Fi, a paid Internet service launched in India to provide accessible Internet to mobile users in underserved locations. More people who cannot afford Internet can now connect to their loved ones via FB.
Video Industry
As long as China keeps the door locked out on FB, you will agree with me that investing in emerging economies remains one of the low-hanging fruits to grow Facebook’s reach.
