https://internet-in-a-box.org/ might come in handy.
Facebook tried the same in India but was quickly shutdown: https://www.wired.com/2016/02/facebooks-free-basics-app-is-n...
Facebook tried the same in India but was quickly shutdown: https://www.wired.com/2016/02/facebooks-free-basics-app-is-n...
But then you read about the success of Facebook in emerging markets in Africa and it becomes even murkier. Basics has caused Facebook to become utterly dominant in many African countries[0], and that’s precisely what net neutrality tries to prevent. That’s so much power. I don’t know what the right answer is.
[0] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/20/facebook-...
Insofar as the short term success of their users is considered, it's an unequivocal yes. There are an unbelievable number of African businesses that exist only because of the platform.
As you correctly call out, it's the longer timelines that make it a dubious proposition.