Vodafone starts new initiative to drive 3G adoption in Mumbai

A recent Mary Meeker report found that there are about 67 million smartphone subscribers in India. Considering 3G usage has only begun to show positive signs here, there is a scramble to get more and more users to jump in. Now, in a bid to boost adoption, Vodafone, is looking to drive 3G adoption with the recently launched ‘Be Smart’ mobile Internet initiative in Mumbai.

Arvind Vohra, Business Head, Mumbai Circle- Vodafone India, at the launch of the ‘Be Smart’ mobile Internet initiative

The initiative is aimed at users with HSPA handsets and it looks to convey through it the “need for synergising 3G technology” on these handsets, for a better mobile experience. The new initiative projects real life situations with popular mobile applications ranging from videos and music, navigation, social networking, online gaming, live stock market updates, to name a few. In its interaction with the audience, the ‘Be Smart’ initiative spreads the message ‘Smartphones are incomplete without Vodafone 3G’.

In its attempt to further encourage non-3G users to jump onto the high-speed Internet bandwagon, Vodafone is also promoting the use of its mobile Internet packs starting from Rs 44 for its Mumbai users. The Rs 44 pack gives 175 MB data for a period of 7 days. All of the other existing Vodafone packs remain unchanged.

Vodafone has over 2 million smartphone users on its network in Mumbai, however the company said that only 47 percent of these two million smartphone customers use its 3G services.