Mobile messenger app
WhatsApp now boasts 60 million Indian users, up from 50 million users in May 2014. At least 3 million active users per month are joining the app from the subcontinent, making India one of its fastest growing markets.
In March of 2014, soon after Facebook's purchase, WhatsApp's co-founder and CEO Jan Koum announced his intention to venture into voice calls. In April of this year WhatsApp announced that it had 500 million active users globally. Alongside solutions like Line, WeChat and Viber, WhatsApp has eaten into what was a hugely profitable SMS market. Should they venture into voice calls it could be a game changer for telcoms worldwide.
Recognizing a potential threat when one approaches, telcoms in India are extremely wary of a move away from traditional telecommunications services towards data driven services. With Indian service providers joining forces, pressure is being put on the Indian government to legislate against WhatsApp and other mobile apps. As a result, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is considering action against such solutions. Indian mobile service providers have suggested that they have the right to be compensated for lost revenue as a result of the growth of such solutions.
Do you support solutions like WhatsApp moving into arenas that were traditionally the realm of telecoms? Let us know your views.
