A mobile phone is an Indian’s PC
bijoy
In A remote village named Warana in Maharashtra, a sugarcane project that was planned to run on Internet PC-based kiosks was ‘unwired’, with mobile phones replacing the computers in the network. This comes as no great surprise, as for India and many Indians, a mobile phone can be as good as a PC. With the penetration of mobile devices in India we have begun to finally see the power for social and economic reform which the mobile device could perpetuate. The ease of access of services on the mobile device can facilitate greater social inclusiveness in India.
For many Indians, the driving factors behind choosing a mobile over a PC are the price tag, convenience, ease of use - and mobility. India is again in a phase of economic resurgence post a period of tough economic challenges, the majority of Indians though lives outside the metros and many Indians in rural areas have daily incomes of under US$2. Affordability is a critical issue here – not only is the upfront cost of a PC rather high, the maintenance and running costs can take it beyond the budgets of the significant majority of Indians. The availability of ultra-low cost handsets together with longer battery life, mean a mobile phone is a more affordable option for the Indian mass market.
Beyond affordability the choice of a mobile over a PC is the convenience that a portable device provides. It is easy to carry, easy to use, easy to charge and easy to maintain. It provides connectivity to the outside world in myriad ways – from a simple voice call, to a quick text message, to voice chat rooms to mobile web surfing. In an increasingly networked world – a PC without an Internet connection is no match for a mobile phone. Even with an Internet connection, the mobile phone is fit for purpose than the PC. Nowadays, Internet access drives personal PC usage, whether for light browsing or downloading infotainment, checking email, chatting or listening to music. Pretty much everything a user does on his home PC can be just as easily done with a mobile phone.
Granted, the cost of mobile sets enabled with GPRS and WAP could pose a barrier to adoption, but their everfalling market rates mean a growing number of mobile users are opting for such mobiles over the PC. Moreover, with clever browsers available to deliver the Internet to a whole spectrum of Java-enabled handsets, the price tag no longer poses a major obstacle.
Where the mobile phone really steals a march over the PC is in its ability to deliver a very wide range of Internet-driven offerings, but also interactivity enabling value added services, which exploit the existing mobile operator network to deliver an increasingly sophisticated service experience.
Financial services
The affordability, ease of use and ubiquitous nature of mobile phone services has extended the reach of mobile communications to previously unserved segments. In the same way as unserved or underserved segments now have access to communications, so the same unserved segments have access to new services, such as mobile finance, that were previously unavailable. With secure, easy to use solutions available, such as Comviva’s mobiquityTM mobile financial solution, mobile operators can expand hitherto unavailable services to a very large base of potential users.
Entertainment services
Entertainment on the move also puts mobile phone ahead of the PC in the race to capture the loyalty of the Indian consumer. Popular Bollywood ringtones, cricket scores, astrological, and devotional content, provided at affordable rates, on a reasonably priced mobile phone, can enhance the lifestyles of a large group of individuals – again fulfilling a need that the higher-priced, difficult to use PC cannot.
Information services
For many Indians able to afford a PC, the attraction is not so strong when the convenience and flexibility of the mobile is considered – and even where people own both a home PC and a mobile, they often use the mobile over the PC for keeping in touch via voice, SMS, Instant Messaging and even email. Information services such as location based services using GPS tracking systems, security related information and services (travel advisories), and regular news alerts and weather updates all strengthen the bond between the user and their phone.
Connectivity services
Most importantly, aside from the simple use of SMS, the availability of voice SMS, instant messaging and chatting (even without downloading a client) services on a mobile reaffirms its utility as against the PC.
A major difference driving the uptake of the mobile over the PC – and the PCs substitution by the mobile, is the levels of literacy required to operate the two devices. The PC requires a minimum level of literacy, not to mention computer literacy, but mobile phones require no such qualifications. So, lower literacy rates in India coupled with a person’s much higher level of comfort using a mobile over a PC, favors uptake of the mobile.
The recent increase in bandwidth capacity connecting India is enabling deployment of high-speed networks. This is supporting growth of mobile Internet services by alleviating bandwidth limitations. Globally, spurred by the proliferation of web enabled mobile handsets, the demand for collaborative ‘Web 2.0’ applications, as well as greater 3G penetration and mobile broadband convergence, means that the mobile web is increasingly becoming an integral part of the consumer’s overall media experience and daily lives.
Some industry estimates suggest that by 2013, mobile Internet users will cross [2.2 billion (Forrester research)] and mobile data revenues grow to USD [$ 8.3 (Juniper research, Siliconindia.com)]. Whilst data services such as mobile email and mobile Internet provide a basic means of communication and a source of information for individuals across the world, many people in growth markets have never experienced these services. Cellular Internet usage will be particularly important in these countries where the affordability and ubiquity of the mobile phone have made it a popular alternative to expensive PC access. Relatively low bandwidth, limited coverage and the constraints imposed by handsets have held back the development of data applications and slowed consumer adoption in India and other growth markets.
Clearly the power of the mobile as a means to access relevant and productive information cannot be undermined and it is now fast becoming a reality in the country. It is for the vendors and operators to work in close sync with the consumer sentiment and make available solutions which will drive up the mobile in the value chain. We stand at the brink of a social change, which could be facilitated by the mobile device alone!
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Thanking You
Bijoy Franco
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