Bharti Airtel, Google Launch 'Free Zone' in India
June 26, 2013
By Gary Kim, Contributing Editor
Bharti Airtel (News - Alert) and Google are launching a “Free Zone” powered by Google, which will give Airtel mobile customers access to mobile Web search and feature-phone-friendly versions of Gmail and Google (News - Alert)+ in India, on an essentially subsidized basis.
The new “freemium” business model offers any Bharti Airtel users with Internet-capable devices to use Gmail, Google+ and Gooble Search at no charge.
Users can access the first page of a website linked from search results is provided at no cost. Using additional pages, or downloading attachments, will require a data plan.
For Google, the program means more users in a growth market, while for Bharti Airtel (News - Alert) the program provides more value for end users and a chance to earn more revenue from data plan usage, as more users find they now cannot live without Gmail or mobile search.
No details about financial terms of the plan were released, but one assumes Bharti Airtel will be compensated for airtime usage, in some way, by Google.
Airtel mobile customers can access the service by visiting www.airtel.in/freezone and simply start using the Internet without having to sign in to the service.
Any user can create a Gmail account instantly on the Free Zone homepage.
“The mobile Internet user base is growing really fast in India. “Working with Airtel on this exciting trial means that we can offer Internet services at no cost to anyone with a phone,” said Rajan Anandan, VP and managing director of Google India.
“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, e-mail and social collaboration at no incremental cost,” said N. Rajaram, Bharti Airtel chief marketing officer for Consumer Business.
Free Zone includes Google Search, Gmail and Google+, which enables users to share photos and messages.
While Airtel subscribers will not incur any data charges to access these services on Free Zone powered by Google, access to more advanced services such as attachment download or browsing through to websites from the ones accessed in the Free Zone would be enabled through the subscription to a standard data package.
Edited by Alisen Downey