Idea Cellular has entered into a tri-party agreement with Opera Software and Quikr to offer sponsored mobile data through sponsored web passes to its more than 137 million subscribers.

The partnership is aimed at enabling more Indians get online and experience the power of the internet on their mobile phones, the company said in a statement.

A web pass is an alternative to monthly data plans for consumers who do not require full-time internet access. This solution provides affordable internet packages, tailor-made to enable internet access for particular timelines or websites, such as Facebook access for a day or internet access for an hour at just Re. 1.

Web passes allow transparent, self-explanatory transactions, along with affordable and controllable pay-as-you-go features.

With Sponsored Web Pass, Idea subscribers can enjoy internet on their mobile phones, sponsored by Quikr. To get sponsored web access, Idea users just need to open Opera Mini and click the "Idea Web Pass" Speed Dial entry, then select the "Free Internet by Quikr (10 MB)" web pass option. From there, users will be able to enjoy 10 MB of sponsored internet access on their mobile phones for an entire day.

"Data is going to be the next big game changer in the Indian telecom industry. However, there are certain entry-level barriers that must be overcome for mass adoption. The web pass concept has helped us surpass the barrier of cost and convenience and has led to a spike in the number of data users on our network. Now, with Sponsored Web Pass, we are confident that even more non-data users will come on board and enjoy the amazing world of internet on their mobile phones, while also giving an opportunity to advertisers to gain instant connect with consumers using the mobile platform,” said Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer at Idea Cellular.

rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in

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