New Delhi: Bharti Airtel said it has partnered with
Google to launch a service ‘Free Zone’, wherein subscribers will be able
to access Google services such as Gmail, Google+ and Google search on
their mobile phones without any data cost.
The users, however, have to pay for advanced services such as attachment downloads, the company said in a statement.
“…Free Zone powered by Google, will give Airtel mobile customers
access to mobile web search and feature phone friendly versions of Gmail
and Google+ in India. The first page of a website linked from search
results is provided at no data cost,” Airtel said.
The company added when users leave the Free Zone to navigate deeper
into a website or download an attachment they are informed about the
data charges and given the option to purchase an appropriate data
package.
“In this market, where feature phones predominate, our association
with Google to bring Free Zone to India will encourage millions of users
to discover the power of mobile Internet for the very first time and
leverage the amazing world of information search, email and social
collaboration – at no incremental cost,” Bharti Airtel Chief Marketing
Officer (Consumer Business) N Rajaram said.
Users can have unlimited access to Gmail from their mobile browser
but if they click on a link or attachment within the email they are
directed to a page where they can purchase a data package.
In the same way, subscribers can search Internet and access the first
page of websites from the results for free. If they click further into a
website after that, they are directed to a page where they can purchase
a data package, it added.
“The mobile Internet user base is growing really fast in India… We
hope this initiative will encourage more Indians to experience the value
of the Internet and gain from it,” Google India VP and Managing
Director Rajan Anandan said.
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