Facebook’s latest update for Android is giving users the capability to find and pay for public Wi-Fi hotspots with greater ease.

Where there’s a will, there’s a Wi-Fi

Facebook has launched a new Android app as part of its Express Wi-Fi initiative, allowing users to search and log on public Wi-Fi networks for a fixed rate.

Testing since 2015, Facebook has been tweaking their new service in India with over 700 hotspots as of last May, with additional testing throughout Indonesia and Kenya.

Express Wi-Fi consists of displaying a map of available hotspots near the user and makes the process of connecting fast and easy.

A bumpy start

Facebook’s previous launch of “Free Basics” failed to impress critics for violating net neutrality principles and found itself initially banned in India. Hardly ideal when attempting to attract a billion new users.

With Free Basics being banned in India, Express Wi-Fi is Facebook’s next attempt to tap an enormous market. They will also be launching drones to beam internet across remote regions.

Along with an open-sourced hardware platform, low cost internet access is the ultimate goal, regardless of global location. Ambitious, the new endeavour could change how the world accesses the web.

Have you had a chance to try Wi-Fi Express when abroad? What do you think about the new reach to bring Wi-Fi to remote locations? Let us know in our comments below.