Vodafone gives all its subscribers free access to Twitter

Here’s exciting news for all Vodafone users in India, right on a Monday! Following an official announcement, all Vodafone users in India can now access Twitter for free, minus the mobile Internet charges, for a period of three months. Vodafone users can avail this offer on their mobile browser (mobile.twitter.com) and on the Twitter for Android app. Post that period, though, the regular data charges will apply.

The announcement is part of a strategic partnership between the two entities, both of which were made public today, at an event in Mumbai. Vodafone India has entered into a partnership with popular microblogging site Twitter to drive Internet usage among its customers.

Vivek Mathur and Rishi Jaitly at the event

Vodafone users should however take note that all links will be charged as per applicable rates.

At the event, Vodafone’s Chief Commercial Officer, Vivek Mathur revealed that mobile has really done well in terms of penetration in the country. He supported this by adding that the medium is emerging as the primary source of Internet access. “Mobile data is responsible for 8 percent of our total revenue,” he exclaimed.

Rishi Jaitly, the Market Director for Twitter India said, “As a real time information network full of links, media, and content, our platform offers the mobile ecosystem novel ways to introduce their subscribers to all the Internet has to offer.”

Following today’s announcement, Twitter will also be seen promoting the "no mobile internet charges" experience on Vodafone. The two entities, as part of their deal, will ensure "seamless and transparent browsing experience" by informing the customer about charges they will incur, especially when they accessing links via their Twitter timeline and elsewhere on the site’s network. 

Vivek Mathur, Chief Commercial Officer at Vodafone India

Mathur explained how the operator is looking to drive data adoption in the country, by first making the Internet relevant to the users here, and then track the adoption rate among people.

As for plans to further strategic partnerships as such with other major Internet entities, Mathur said that Vodafone India would do few of such, but powerful ones, nevertheless.