Facebook is buying acquiring Pryte, a Finnish company that offers mobile phone users the chance to use apps without buying a mobile data plan. Facebook expects the deal to close next month. It did not disclose any financial terms.

"We are excited to get started, and make an even greater impact by advancing the work we are doing in collaboration with Facebook's great team working to further Internet.org?s goal of making affordable internet access available to everyone in the world," the Pryte team said in a statement.

Pryte was founded in 2013 by a team of telecom and internet veterans with the mission "to let users forget about mobile data and simply enjoy apps every day." As part of its efforts, the company has enabled many partnerships between app and content providers, and mobile operators.

Facebook is primarily interested in the team behind Pryte, led by Chief Executive Markku Makelainen, Chan said.

Pryte's service has not been released yet. It is designed to make easier for consumers without wireless data plans to use online services by selling passes that would provide access to particular mobile apps, such as Facebook.