What is “2G Tuesdays?”

Depending on where you live, Internet connectivity might not be a concern for you. In fact, you might be able to step into any local coffee shop and rest easy knowing that you’ll have a steady 3G or even 4G connection, allowing you to access the Internet with ease. Of course, not all areas in the world are as fortunate. Sometimes, connectivity becomes so slow in those areas that it can surprise you.
Facebook has recognized this and thus, “2G Tuesdays” was recently born. For those who do not know, “2G Tuesdays” is a new initiative that is exclusive to employees of the company. Essentially, whenever Facebook employees log into the app on Tuesday, they will have a 2G connection to work with for an hour. What this means is that everything from text to videos will load at slower paces than they would if the employees were to use the more common speeds mentioned earlier.
This isn’t being done without reason, though. “2G Tuesdays” was created in large part to give employees a better understanding of how Internet access is in different areas of the world. According to Facebook engineering director Tom Alison, “… Their experience on Facebook will be very much like the experience that millions of people around the world,” including places like India and Thailand. They are bustling markets in those regions, as any online marketing firm can attest to, but to say that connectivity is lacking in said areas would be an understatement.
I believe that this initiative will be especially useful for making Facebook easier on various connections. Let’s say that you’re working on a 2G connection, and you’re trying to click onto a particular website. Depending on how much data the website holds, you’re going to be waiting much longer than you would like. Many websites tend to load the same across various connections, the main reason being the limitation of sizable content. “2G Tuesdays” could help Facebook make necessary changes, in this respect.
One can make the argument that “2G Tuesdays” is a step in the right direction, as far as consumer empathy is concerned. However, a counterargument can be offered, in the sense that a single hour of slower activity is not the same as consistent inaccessibility in certain areas. Regardless of whether this will be effective in the long run remains to be seen, but it shows that Facebook is interested in focusing on other areas of the world. It’s also worth noting that this can spur new ideas that wouldn’t have been created had “2G Tuesdays” been absent. Only time will tell.
What is your take on “2G Tuesdays?” Do you see the worth in this initiative? Please leave any comments down below!

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See also: What is Facebook’s Instant Articles?