Wikipedia Zero

Wikipedia Zero overview
Wikipedia Zero is an initiative of Wikimedia Foundation to enable free mobile access to Wikipedia in developing countries, sometimes referred to collectively as the Global South.

This initiative is based on partnerships with mobile operators, whereby the operator agrees to deploy a version of Wikipedia in a way that their users do not need to pay for data access. Often Wikipedia Zero will be one component of several initiatives with a mobile operator. For example, an operator may want to launch our Android app, put a Wikipedia RSS feed in their portal, and then roll out Wikipedia Zero with a specific marketing campaign.

Functionally, Wikipedia Zero, hereafter referred to simply as Zero, will offer a view of mobile Wikipedia with images turned off. When users turn on images or click on external links, they will be warned about incurring data charges before continuing. Another version of the service will include links for individual images, and users will be warned when they click on an individual image link, in addition to external links.

Two clear benefits of Zero are zero cost to users, enhancing accessibility, and enhanced speed, which is a valuable benefit for all mobile users.

Here is a high-level description of the Zero service, focusing on integration with mobile operators:

The variables
There are several variables to consider in how Wikipedia Zero is deployed, which will differ among mobile operators:


 * how traffic can be isolated as zero-rated
 * the population of handsets and their capabilities
 * the current popularity of Wikipedia
 * how mobile content services are typically consumed
 * how operators will market Wikipedia Zero

Most of these variables differ considerably between regions and countries. For this discussion, the regions will be India, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

Zero-rated traffic
Identifying traffic to be zero-rated can be based on a range of IP addresses representing some part of the operator's web traffic, and a Wikipedia Zero landing page with some form of session tracking by URL.

In cases where there is no need to distinguish between paid and free traffic, or if the operator can specify an IP address range specific to free traffic, we can deliver that operator's version of Zero based on their IP addresses. In this case, we need to consider the data analysis requirements of identifying such traffic in usage data logs.

If an operator has both paid and free traffic in the same IP address range, we need to add the method of a specific landing page and tracking mechanism. This would be a specific start page, such as zero.wikipedia.org, from which we track users and also identify the operator by incoming IP address. This landing page satisfies the general use case of an operator linking certain traffic to the free version, or telling its users to use a specific starting point.

If the operator will track URLs in order to whitelist them or to implement a billing policy, then we will provide the format of the URL for that operator. The tracking URL will be the normal Wikipedia mobile URL with an identifier appended, consisting of a path and query string. Tracking via URL is a reliable and simple way to facilitate analysis of usage data.

In summary, a mobile operator must provide a range of incoming IP addresses and we will provide the landing page address and format of URL's specific to that operator. We also request that operators provide usage data, but we will perform logging and analysis as well.

It will be possible for operators to view online and request an update to their IP address range.

Other variables
All of the other variables together will form the specific approach of each mobile operator. If most handsets are not capable of net access, then USSD and SMS take prominence. If most handsets are relatively capable feature phones and SMS services are saturated, then an operator may feel that J2ME apps are the best way to get market traction. A promotion around new Android devices may dictate participation with our Android app. If Wikipedia is not currently popular on mobile devices, an RSS feed of Today's Featured Article makes sense to begin building awareness, and steering people to Zero.

The variety of situations across regions means we must be flexible with a range of services and approaches.

Other operator services
In summary, the range of services that operators can deploy are:


 * USSD/SMS article search and limited delivery
 * J2ME app for basic article browsing
 * RSS feed of Today's Featured Article or In the News
 * Wikipedia Zero

Local content
Trending articles in a region, whether in another language version or the English version of Wikipedia, is an important consideration in making Wikipedia relevant in many parts of the world, especially on mobile devices. If a mobile operator provides a feed of Today's Featured Article, it should be based on local content or local interests. Sometimes that can be satisfied by a non-English language version, sometimes not.

What we need is a mechanism for providing trending articles in a given region.