New MTS mAd service lets you make free calls by watching ads

Ramkumar IyerOct 03, 2012 17:51:15 IST

All of us have certainly dreamed of making calls for free, or with someone else paying the bills. Well, turns out you can do that; you’ll just have to watch an ad. Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd, which operates its telecom services under the MTS brand, has launched a service that lets you make up to four free local calls a day in exchange for watching advertisements on your phone. Calls made using this service will be free for only one minute, though.

According to a statement, the MTS mAd service requires no charges for activation, application download and for data transfer while watching video ads. Users opting for the service will get “a seamless experience with no buffering and video streaming hassle”.

The MTS mAd service is available on all Android devices on the MTS network including MTS MTag 3.1, MTS MTag 351, MTS MTag 352, MTS MTag 353, MTS MTag 401, HTC Pulse, Samsung Galaxy Y and Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos CDMA. The company is also working to extend the service to Blackberry and BREW-enabled entry-level MTS handsets.

Watch an ad in exchange for 60 seconds of free talktime.

Brands such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mentos, Center Fresh, Fiat, Kellogg’s, Titan and Lenovo have tied up with MTS for the mAd service.

Leonid Musatov, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, MTS India, said, “MTS mAd is a unique service that enables our smartphone customers to make free calls by just watching a video ad on their device. The service also provides an opportunity for leading brands to connect with their customers in a personalised manner. I am confident that the mAd service would find its appeal amongst both our customers and the advertising fraternity.”

Android users on the MTS network wishing to subscribe to the service will need to send an SMS with the keyword “FREE” to 55559 or call up MTS Customer Care. Following this, you’ll get a link to download the MTS mAd Call application; the application will need to be installed on your smartphone for the service to work.  After installation, a demo video demonstrating the entire process will start playing automatically.

Once done, whenever you make a call, an automatic pop up will ask you if you want to make a ‘Free Call’ or a ‘Paid Call’. In case you select the Free Call option, a video ad will play for 20-30 seconds, after which the call will be connected. The free credit would be paid by the advertisers. In case you use up the daily free calls limit, the ‘Free call’ pop up will not be displayed.