MPT, Facebook Launch Free Data App in Myanmar

Facebook and Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) have launched a trial of Discover, a new mobile web and Android app that can be used to browse the internet using a daily balance of free data from MPT. Discover is being provided during the coronavirus pandemic.

Discover supports only low-bandwidth traffic when using free data, so that video, audio, and certain other types of data-intensive traffic are not supported.

MPT subscribers can now access Discover by visiting 0.discoverapp.com on any mobile web browser on any type of mobile device, including basic feature phones, as well as by downloading the Discover app in the Google Play Store.

MPT, Myanmar’s biggest mobile operator, is part of a state-run company that also encompasses the postal service and dates back to the late 19th century, when the British ran Burma, as it was then called. With its dominant position in the country’s marketplace, MPT is able to reach a large preponderance of citizens and to help them get through the pandemic period, during which job losses and general economic damage from shutdowns have made it difficult for many to afford mobile services, even as use of mobile connectivity becomes more important than ever due to the need to work from home.

MPT’s way of doing this is interesting, in that rather than simply providing discounted or free data, it has partnered with Facebook to create an app that essentially creates a parallel internet universe, bypassing standard browsers, that has such low bandwidth that it does not support high-data functionalities including video and audio.

Doing it this way certainly saves the operator money while providing users with the absolute bare minimum necessary to get on the mobile internet. However, given that most consumers—even lower-end ones—in today’s world consider video and audio to be essentials, not to mention other features that require large amounts of data (and that goes as well for business use), we wonder whether this joint venture of Facebook and MPT will satisfy subscribers fully, or at all. At least it will allow them to access Facebook, presumably the less feature-rich versions of it. Ultimately, MPT may be so secure in the marketplace that it may not care very much if this offer displeases some, and it can credibly claim that during the pandemic, it offered a solution for those who need mobile data and have trouble affording standard tariffs.

Tarifica is a global SaaS company and a market leader in the real-time collection, analysis and delivery of telecom plan and pricing data worldwide. Through a mix of AI, modeling and market expertise, Tarifica tracks hundreds of thousands of plan and pricing data points daily. No other company tracks more. Tarifica's mission is to continuously convert data into the dynamic intelligence that fuels opportunities for its clients, the world's leading operators, regulators and consultants. 

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SK Telecom Launches Mobile Parking App

South Korean mobile operator SK Telecom has introduced a mobile parking app. Drivers using the app, which is called T-map Parking, will be able to find parking lots nearby, check availability of parking space and pay their parking fees online. According to Jang Yoo-sung, head of SK Telecom’s mobility business, the company plans to integrate its taxi-calling service, navigation service and parking service in a single platform by the end of 2019.

SK Telecom launched parking management services in cooperation with its security service affiliate, ADT Caps. The operator said that it will manage the mobile app, while ADT Caps will operate the parking lots, which feature 24-hour security service. SK Telecom has secured 208 parking lots across South Korea. SK Telecom operates these parking lots directly or in partnership with owners. The company plans to expand the number of parking lots to 350 this year and to 600 by 2020.

In a joint investment with Australia’s Macquarie Group, SK Telecom acquired a stake in ADT Cap in May 2018. SK Telecom now holds a 55 percent stake in ADT Caps, while Macquarie owns 45 percent. 

Here we find yet another example of a way in which an operator can leverage partnerships with non-telecom companies to deliver consumer services that increase the operator’s relevance as traditional services deliver diminishing returns.

SK Telecom is being very proactive in not just providing the means to locate and pay for parking via an app, but in also providing the parking spaces themselves. Acquiring hundreds of lots throughout the country is a strong tactic, especially when it comes to operating them directly—although we can also include in this category the indirect operation through partnerships with pre-existing owners. Creating a vertically-integrated, app-enabled, security enhanced nationwide parking system is truly a bold move on the part of SK Telecom, an excellent value-added use of its network and an extension of its brand.

Considering the near-universal need for parking in a developed economy such as that of South Korea, the appeal of T-Map Parking is likely to be quite broad. Integrating it over time with related services such as taxi ride-hailing and navigation promises to extend and solidify its appeal. And if, as seems likely, the services will be available to those who are not SK subscribers, this parking offering, could also serve to boost subscriber acquisition for the operator.

The acquisition of a majority stake in ADT Cap also benefits the deal by leveraging ADT’s strength in security technology. The offer of a high level of security 24 hours a day is likely to be persuasive in terms of attracting users to the parking system.

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Toyota, Komeda, KDDI Launch Traffic Safety Smartphone App

Toyota Motor Corporation, Komeda, and KDDI have launched a smartphone application dubbed “Driving Barista.” The app is designed to reduce the number of traffic accidents in Aichi Prefecture which are caused by drivers using their smartphones while driving. The traffic safety initiative involving the app will be carried out and jointly promoted by the three partners. The Driving Barista app can only be used within Aichi Prefecture. Leveraging the gyro sensor to sense the tilt of the smartphone body and the GPS to determine the distance driven, the app measures the distance the driver has driven while leaving the smartphone facedown. When the cumulative distance reaches 100 km, the driver will receive a coupon for a cup of blended or iced coffee at a Komeda Coffee Shop.

  

This anti-distracted-driving initiative is noteworthy in that the purpose-built app that implements it was developed in partnership with a mobile operator, KDDI. While Driving Barista’s free coffee in exchange for 100 km driven without using a smartphone may not seem particularly exciting, the idea of promoting driver safety is a good one, and for an MNO to participate in such an initiative stands to raise the company’s profile among the public. The cross promotion with a major automobile manufacturer like Toyota also should benefit the operator in terms of brand strengthening. If the app is available to all users regardless of whether they are KDDI subscribers, the initiative could very well have the collateral effect of driving new subscriptions to the operator.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. 

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Mobile Chat Apps Favored Over Facebook Messaging

According to a recent report the use of mobile chat apps and micro-blogs has been increasing in Nigeria. More and more users are turning to Cape Town, South Africa-based 2go, a mobile instant messaging service, as well as to messaging services Eskimi and WhatsApp as their social media platform choices than to Facebook. Last year Alan Wolff, 2go’s co-founder, said that the service had over 20 million registered users across Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, and that 2go sends over 7 billion messages each month. Additionally, the report chalked up the popularity of messaging apps to their ability to perform well on lower bandwidths, which results in less data usage and that they are a less expensive alternative to SMS.

Facebook has acknowledged that in some parts of the world its most important demographic—teenagers—are becoming less active users, “We did see a decrease in daily users, particularly among younger teens,” said Facebook’s chief financial officer, David Ebersman, when referring to usage numbers from Q2 to Q3 in 2013. In a 2013 survey of teenagers from 30 countries, the number of these users claiming to be active on Facebook fell from 76 percent in Q1 to 56 percent in Q3. Young users, always looking for something new, are willing to switch platforms frequently; however, we do not think this is the reason for the high use of messaging apps in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s population of just over 170 million has an internet penetration of 33 percent, and 72 percent of those connected to the internet visited social media sites last year. Nigerians are turning to social media as a way to attract the government’s attention and hold it accountable for its actions that impact the country. Branding of businesses, engagement in civic issues and sources of news information are also reasons for Nigerians use of social media platforms.

Nonetheless, only 25 percent of Nigeria’s more than 105 mobile phone users have smartphones, and using Facebook’s app is difficult in a country that has poor internet access and an inadequate supply of affordable electricity. Therefore, messaging apps are the social media platform of choice for feature phone users.

We have reported on Facebook partnering with mobile operators in several emerging countries, which is a way for the social media giant to increase its penetration in these nations. If operators can find ways to develop mobile networks and increase services in these developing countries, which will allow for larger amounts of data penetration, Facebook believes it will see an increase in active users.  Last November Nicola D’Elia, Facebook’s growth manager for Africa, said, “The network, unsurprisingly, is seeing the biggest uptake in the African markets with growing data penetration. There is a strong correlation between data penetration and Facebook penetration… Growth will come where we are able to deliver the highest data penetration and in sub-Saharan Africa it is definitely through mobile.”

 The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. To access all of the latest articles and issues:  http://www.tarifica.com/TarificaAlert.aspx

Orange Romania Offers New Orange TV Go Add-Ons

Romanian mobile operator Orange has started offering add-ons for customers who want to access the Orange TV Go service on their mobile devices. There are six options to choose from, and the monthly subscription fee varies between €4.00 (US $5.52) and €14.00 (US $19.35). The monthly data allowance included with each plan is either 1 GB or 3 GB, and customers will have access to as many as 75 channels, movies and shows, depending on which offer they subscribe to.

As we have been reporting, operators are constantly trying to create innovative offers that are attractive and affordable for users and open opportunities for additional revenue. These new offers from Orange Romania seem like a good way of expanding its roster of services that require mobile data usage. It appears that the data allowances included in the packages will not satisfy subscribers’ needs, and therefore they will likely purchase additional data to take full advantage of this option. By way of comparison, another operator that recently launched a mobile data bundle designed for specific usage is MTN Ghana. For GHS 5.00 (US $1.77) per month, users get up to 400 MB of mobile data, only for access to three social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Mobile data plans with small amounts of included data that are created specifically for either entertainment or social media platforms very often force subscribers to purchase additional data, and therefore they can be excellent drivers of revenue for operators.

 

“By giving just a little bit of strongly desired content, whether entertainment such as mobile TV or music or access to popular social media platforms, operators can have an impact on their customers’ data usage habits. This specific marketing technique tends to make subscribers more dependent and increase the amount of time during which they want to stay connected to mobile data. As users become more data-hungry, they will likely purchase additional amounts.”

Edyta Krzton, Senior Analyst at Tarifica

The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. To access all of the latest articles and issues:  http://www.tarifica.com/TarificaAlert.aspx