During a humanitarian crisis, quick access to information is imperative. As the mobile phone represents the primary mode of internet access for many Africans, Airtel in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, in collaboration with Opera Software, have launched a free service for Airtel’s customers who are seeking information about the Ebola virus.

Millions of Airtel subscribers in Africa can use the Opera Mini browser to access ebolafacts.com, which provides educational information about the virus and how to avoid contracting it – all without a data plan or any other additional cost.

How it works

This service is available for millions of people 24/7 through Opera Web Pass. All subscribers need to do is to click the “Ebola Info” Speed Dial entry in Opera Mini or choose the free “Ebola Info”option in the Opera Web Pass storefront.

The zero-rating of traffic to important information portals in Sierra Leone means that Airtel subscribers using Opera Mini in the country can browse Ebolafacts.com, Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health website and the World Health Organization website for free.

Opera Web Pass in Africa

Opera works with its operator partners to zero-rate web content that is especially important for their subscribers. In Africa, where fixed broadband only reaches 0.3% of the total population and active mobile broadband usage has increased five-fold in three years, a large number of new users are getting online for the first time, to read news, educate and entertain themselves.

Opera Web Pass means consumers can forget about confusing megabyte-based bundles in favor of a service that offers time- or content-based access to the mobile web. This, along with the powerful Opera Mini compression technology, offers consumers a fast and cost-efficient browsing experience and is a popular option for those coming online for the first time.

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