Facebook reportedly has purchased bandwidth from state-owned BSNL in 125 rural areas for INR100 million ($1.5 million) for a three-year period to expand connectivity in India.

In October the two companies announced they were partnering to set up Wi-Fi hotpots in rural India. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was visiting India and met with prime minister Narendra Modi.

The social networking firm will provide internet service under the Express Wi-Fi brand through Wi-Fi hotspots set up by BSNL’s partner QuadGen on the 2.4GHz band. The service reportedly will offer speeds of about 2Mb/s and small data packages for as little as INR10 ($0.15).

Nearly 25 villages were covered in a pilot project last year in southern and western India, the Economic Times reported.

Facebook has faced a backlash over net neutrality since it started pushing its Internet.org, or zero-rating service, with Reliance Communications (RCom) to connect rural areas. It later renamed the service Free Basics, which RCom took nationwide in November.

A month ago the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) asked RCom not to roll out Free Basics until it submits more information about the zero-rating service to the regulator.