Google Offers Free Wi-Fi in India to Access Social Networks

Google is offering users in India free Wi-Fi in an effort to increase usage of Google’s social network Google+ as well as YouTube. The service provided by O-Zone Networks will run for an initial three months and will allow unlimited usage of Google+ and 10 minutes of free access to YouTube per week, but any other websites can only be accessed by paying for minutes. O-Zone is in talks with Google to make it a long-term contract. O-Zone Networks CEO Sanjeev Sarin stated about the unique marketing partnership: This is a first-of-its-kind promotional tie-up. This association between Google India and O-Zone Networks reinforces the fact that people are now realizing the power of Wi-Fi. With less than 10% internet penetration in India, O-Zone remains a niche provider as the mobile network is predicted to be the key enabler of web access in the country. Google has had great success through mobile platforms in India where it claims that 40% of its searches and 67% of its e-commerce comes from users on these devices. This new marketing initiative further encourages mobile internet usage and enhances consumer experiences with Google+ and YouTube users on portable devices while away from work and home.