Zuckerberg makes personal appeal for free Internet in India

Mumbai

FACEBOOK INC chairman Mark Zuckerberg made a personal appeal in one of India's leading newspapers for the country to allow a free Internet service that has stirred controversy and invited questions from regulators.

Facebook's proposed Free Basics plan allows customers to access the social network and other services such as education, health care, and employment listings from their phones without a data plan. Yet activists say the programme threatens the principles of Net neutrality and could change pricing in India for access to different websites.