The advent of 4G technology in India will bring entertainment providers and telecom operators closer, setting the stage for more audio-visual content on smartphones, according to George Mathen, Hub Chief Executive officer-Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Bharti Airtel.
The telecom company, which offers 4G in Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune and Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula in Haryana, is keen on helping entertainment firms tap into its subscriber base, he said, speaking on the sidelines of an event to announce a deal with the makers of the Rajnikanth movie Kochadaiiyaan .
Through this deal, Airtel customers are offered a basket of data and voice packages that come with Rajinikanth wallpapers, caller tunes, and free key chains bearing his pictures. The offer includes a data recharge coupon with 3D images of the actor in his Kochadaiiyaan garb.
Apart from that, users get an opportunity to talk to movie’s director Soundarya Rajinikanth on Airtel Talk2Me, a video-enabled communication facility.
For Airtel and entertainment companies, the evolution of 4G serves different purposes.
The telecom provider will be able to cater to visual content needs of a growing section of the population buying smartphones. For a filmmaker looking for pre-release promotion, getting on the airwaves sounds attractive.
“I am happy that Airtel is promoting Kochadaiiyaan through its strong customer base in the State,” said Soundarya Rajinikanth.
In February, Airtel announced it crossed 200 million mobile customers in India, and further informed that a growing number of them use smartphones.