YouTube is focusing on mobile in India after the Google owned-video site teamed up with operator Tata Docomo to offer a new range of ‘YouTube recharge’ data plans to its 3G customers.
The operator claims the plans give customers access to YouTube for half of the regular price and provide greater flexibility. Customers can choose between 100 MB of video content for 9R ($0.15) — which is valid for up to 24 hours and provides 20-30 minutes of 240p quality playback — or 300 MB of content, which is valid for seven days and priced at 39R ($0.65).
In addition to YouTube, subscribers can view content from video streaming firm Apalya’s service.
YouTube is far and away the post popular video site for Indian internet users. A 2013 Comscore report, which focused solely on PC-based access, found that video consumption in the country had doubled in the space of a year. It’s fairly logical that YouTube, Tata Docomo and Apalya are pulling together to give pre-paid customers cheaper access, and a clearer idea of how they are spending their mobile credit on the video site.
“We hope Indians will be able to get more out of YouTube at a better price,” said Gautam Anand, Director of Content Partnerships and Operations for YouTube Asia-Pacific, in a statement.
YouTube says that 40 percent of its content is consumed on mobile devices but, in markets like India where many people are leapfrogging the desktop PC experience and going straight to mobile internet, more affordable access and transparent billing are important points for increasing the adoption of mobile data plans.
The deal is a first for India, but YouTube already offers a similar plan in Malaysia in partnership with local operator Digi.
Image via Rego Korosi / Flickr
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