Mark Zuckerberg's Pet Project Takes a Hit

— -- It turns out not everyone is on board with the idea of free Internet.

Mark Zuckerberg's pet project, Internet.org, which offers access to basic free services, is at the center of a debate in India over net neutrality -- the principle that people should be able to access all information equally.

Two months after the app was rolled out in the country, several Indian firms decided to pull out of the project due to concerns that the app does not provide equal access to information.

In each country, Facebook partners with a mobile operator to roll out the app, which allows users to access certain services on their phone, including the news, weather, health information, job postings and of course, their Facebook page.

Zuckerberg defended Internet.org in a blog post on his Facebook page, reiterating that he fully supports the principles of net neutrality.

"But net neutrality is not in conflict with working to get more people connected. These two principles — universal connectivity and net neutrality — can and must coexist," he wrote.

"To give more people access to the internet, it is useful to offer some service for free. If someone can’t afford to pay for connectivity, it is always better to have some access than none at all."

The Internet.org initiative was launched in 2013 with the goal of bringing mobile Internet access to people in the developing world -- pushing forward Zuckerberg's goal of connecting the world.