Jana Builds Sponsored Data Business

Let us be clear: Facebook does not participate in sponsored data or zero rating programs. Its Free Basics program does not involve any financial transfers from Facebook or its apps to Internet services providers, nor do ISPs pay anything to Facebook.

source: Jana

On the other hand, others might wish to do so. Jana, for example, has done so successfully, in multiple markets, offering airtime in exchange for taking some action desired by sponsors, such as trying an app.

Clients like LINE  pay Jana to get their apps in front of users who spend more than ten minutes a day on WhatsApp, for example.

The idea is not new. Entrepreneurs have tried to launch various ad-supported services for decades. Jana might be succeeding because of its ability to use billing systems more affordably than ever before, and because it can mine data better, at low cost.

Think of the issue with micropayments. Generally speaking, it has been difficult to sell products at cents when billing costs represent dollars of cost.

The same problem holds for rewards of usage that are relatively limited, when the cost of authorizing and then fulfilling a specific transaction is not very low.

Internet.org Rebrands "No Data Plan" Service as Free Basics

Internet.org has been rebranded as Free Basics, a mobile app and website which provides no-charge access to some 60 apps without the need for buying a mobile data plan. The new name obviously better describes what the service entails.

The organization also is helping third parties create new Wi-Fi services in rural areas of India. Called Express Wi-Fi, that initiative provides support for entrepreneurs who want to sell Wi-Fi access.

The initiative aims to enable Wi-Fi  at lower retail prices than has been possible before. Part of the effort might well entail stripping out bandwidth-intensive elements such as advertising and video.

Facebook has already set up such hotspots in partnership with Internet service providers in parts of Uttarakhand and Bangalore.

Mobile Web Audience Grew 42% Year over Year

Mobile media now is driving growth in digital media business, underscoring mobile’s role in just about every important trend in Internet access, content consumption and value of the Internet overall.

Mobile web audiences grew 42 percent over the past year, while use of mobile apps grew 21 percent, year over year, comScore says.

Fixed Network Business Case Remains Challenging

No single access platform ever is the “best” or “only” solution for a communications objective. Though mobile widely has become the key enabling platform in much of the world, there are times when satellite or fixed wireless is the only economically-viable option.

Likewise, despite the bandwidth advantages of a fiber-backed fixed network, the business case

is severe, in many cases.

By some estimates, fiber to the home or fiber to the curb has a positive business case in less than 50 percent of instances, and far less than that in the developing world, according to the International Telecommunications Union.

70% of People Globally Will Have Internet Access by 2020, ITU Says

Of an estimated 9.2 billion mobile subscriptions expected to be in service by 2020, 7.7 billion will have mobile Internet access, according to the International Telecommunications Union. At that point, about 70 percent of the world’s population will be using a smartphone.

If those forecasts are correct, then dire warnings about the global digital divide will be a sharply less important reality. We likely still have some ways to go in terms of supplied bandwidth, and there still will be coverage gaps.

In Europe, Higher Capex, Lower Revenue is a Trend

It might not be the case in every market, but in Europe, legacy carrier revenue is down, capital investment is up. Revenue gains are being made by attackers, including some that find they are earning more revenue on less capital investment.

That is not the case for the cable TV, mobile and fixed network service providers, all of whom are seeing increased capital spending. Cable is seeing a one percent increase in revenue, but telcos and mobile service providers are seeing negative four percent to five percent revenue trends.

Linear Video Subscriptions Drop 1%

A slow decrease in linear TV viewing, accompanied by an equally slow increase in mobile viewing are among the findings of the latest Nielsen Total Audience Report, measuring consumer use of various forms of media.

According to Nielsen, the number of homes with linear video subscriptions is down 1.2 percent to 100.4 million, over a one-year period. 

The number of broadband only homes rose 52 percent to 3.3 million from 2.2 million, over the same period.

We should not expect the slow changes to continue forever. At some point, an inflection point will be reached and the balance will tip much faster.