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Internet Via Text Messages Empowering Basic Phones
Accessing internet on the phone meant the hardware was a notch above the basic models. While smartphones can do a lot more than surfing, feature phones typically have this feature as a ‘Premium’.
However, evolving technology is trying to address the people who still carry basic phones for lack of knowledge or financial constraints. Owing to hardware limitations basic phones can do little more than making / receiving calls & SMSing. Though there are innovations, ironically leveraging the decades old USSD structure, to introduce additional features like payment systems, these phones still lack internet access. While hardware simply cannot be modified, companies like txtWeb, Google and Innoz Technologies are actually modifying the internet to fit on their screens.
Why the need?
Over 85% of phones sold in India are basic or elementary devices. These can only work on the most rudimentary GSM cellular network that can do little else than ferry voice calls & SMSes. Thanks to the licenses & multiple rounds of auctions, mobile companies simply can’t bring down the tariffs of 3G or other forms of internet access technology. Hence the high cost of accessing internet on mobile combined with poor infrastructure & lack of capable handsets have forced majority of mobile phone users to live without internet. Thankfully, realizing the giant void, txtWeb offers SMS based service wherein users can get information, updates & other types of valuable insights by sending queries to 9243342000. E.g: If one needs auto-rickshaw fare, there are apps ready for smartphones. But basic phone users can get the information by sending an SMS e.g.: “@auto fare Bangalore, Koramangala, M G Road”. Currently the company boasts of 1500+ similar nifty tools.
Google offers “SMS applications”. Working on similar pattern, information seekers can send SMS to 9773300000. Information like weather, rupee conversion rates, definitions, flight status, railway PNR information are all available for people just like their smartphone welding cousins.
Which Sites work?
Since it’s the topic of internet access, our readers will surely be interested in knowing which sites can be accessed. Well, we hate to disappoint, but currently, very few popular ‘sites’ works on these basic phones. As the hardware falls miles short of processing even the word-count, let alone Java scripts, CSS etc, one cannot get any websites to work. But, companies like Innoz Technologies are working hard to offer re-worked versions of sites that can be pulled from the web by sending a SMS to 55444. Additionally, the company is even developing a special Innoz OS that offers internet access, per say, via SMS technology. Twitter supports tweets sent via SMS and so does Facebook.
As technology improves, the cost of hardware is bound to fall, making smartphones accessible to people who currently use basic phones. But, if these people lack the basic know-how of operating such powerful devices, such services can offer some solace. What do you think?
Image Courtesy | blog.smashfly
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2012-11-22 09:40:15
Source: http://www.watblog.com/2012/11/22/internet-via-text-messages-empowering-the-basic-phones/
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