Facebook 2013-2014

Sponsor: Facebook

Improving the Facebook Android Application Experience for Users in Emerging Markets

The Facebook-SCOPE team has investigated ways of improving the Facebook Android application for users in emerging markets. These users have slow network connections and limited data plans that detract from the user experience.  

The team explored methods of reducing data consumption by sharing overlapping data directly from one user to another. The shared data is sent over an ad hoc, peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network. This reduces data consumption by a median of 33%. Sharing data also enables the Facebook Android application to function “offline,” with users receiving only data from peers. The team created a technical demonstration to showcase this data-sharing mechanism.

Facebook poster

Faculty Advisor
Allen Downey

Team Members
Cypress Frankenfeld
Keeley Haverstock
Aman Kapur
Sarah Strohkorb

team picture