The app is part of ´our effort to bring affordable Internet access to everyone in the world,´ Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

The Internet.org app is being released first in Zambia, and is to be rolled out in other countries where Internet access is lacking or unaffordable, Facebook said.

"Over 85 percent of the world´s population lives in areas with existing cellular coverage, yet only about 30 percent of the total population accesses the Internet," Facebook´s Guy Rosen said in a blog post.

The app allows people with Android-powered mobile phones to get free access to services including Wikipedia, Google Search, Facebook, AccuWeather and websites offering health and other services.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the app is part of "our effort to bring affordable Internet access to everyone in the world."

"We believe that every person should have access to free basic Internet services — tools for health, education, jobs and basic communication," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page.