With sponsored data programs still in their infancy, Comptel describes how they can benefit mobile operators and digital service providers.
Mobile operators are constantly looking at ways to monetize their network resources and services in an attempt to bolster their bottom line and help pay for the billions of dollars spent on operations.
One somewhat controversial avenue has been around the use of sponsored data programs, which at a high level provide consumers with “free” data or services in exchange for watching an advertisement from a company paying the operator. While these types of programs have started to take off in a number of international markets, programs have been somewhat muted in the U.S.
Verizon Wireless earlier this year launched its FreeBee Data platform, which includes a basic offer allowing content providers to “sponsor” specific consumer actions on a per-click basis, citing activities like viewing mobile video clips, audio streaming and application downloads. The more inclusive FreeBee Data 360 option bills usage to a content provider on a per-gigabyte basis.
The offering similar to one launched by AT&T in early 2014, which is geared towards providing customers with free data access to sponsored content. AT&T last October bolstered its offering with partner Aquto with the launch of the Data Perks application compatible with both Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS platforms that allows customers to earn “free” data access for partaking in surveys or making purchases through the app. Customers can earn up to 1,000 megabytes of data per month through the application, with that earned data having to then be manually transferred out of the earned pile into their data bucket in 25 Mb increments. Data transferred into a customers data bucket is also tapped prior to the data included initially in the data bucket, and the earned data does not rollover into the following month.
T-Mobile US has also somewhat moved into the space with its Binge On video platform that allows some of the carrier’s customers to stream standard-quality video content from partner content providers without impacting their data allotment.
Greater adoption of these programs is still being hindered by regulatory concerns in terms of net neutrality and open internet rules.
On this week’s Carrier Wrap, we speak with Mikko Jarva, CTO of intelligent data at Comptel, to get the company’s view on how sponsored data can disrupt the mode in which mobile data is consumed and eliminate consumers’ fear of data caps, while creating greater engagement for digital service providers and new revenue streams for operators.
Thanks for watching this week’s show and make sure to check out our next Carrier Wrap when we speak with Ultra Mobile on the MVNO space.
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