Tata Tele enables regional language browsing on mobiles

New Delhi, Nov 28 (UNI) Targeting youth in metros and non-metros, Tata Telesrvices Ltd today launched a new-age web browser in three regional languages which allows users to access internet from a mobile and plans to extend in 23 local languages in the next three of four months.

''To attract the youth into its network, we have launched the browser initially in Urdu, Tamil and Hindi, which will be extended to more languages in the next three-four months,'' company President (Value-Added Service) Pankaj Sethi told reporters here at the launch.

He said the firms earns 9.4 per cent of its revenues through value-added services.

The customers in India are empowered to access internet in local languages like Hindi, Urdu Tamil and Bengali from their mobile phones, Mr Sethi said.

According to a recent study conducted by leading phone maker Nokia, the youth market for mobiles in the country has touched 27.6 million this year compared to 8.3 million people in 2005.

The survey added that arrival of latest mobile phone technologies that offer high transmission speeds have helped social networking as these technologies have helped create a web surfing and video streaming experience similar to what users are accustomed to on their personal computers.

Though the present technology used by Tata does not support Flash or video streaming.

The Nokia study said 50 per cent of these youth users browse internet on their mobile phones.

Developed by Opera Software, a company that puts the Web on any device, telecom service provider Tata Teleservices now provides Opera Mini on its BREW-enabled handsets.

The browser will be made available first on the Huawei C2900i at a price of Rs 1,999.

The phone opearates on a Qualcom QSE 620 chip which allows speeds up to 153 kbps. However, in reality the speeds range anywhere between 50-60 kbps.

Tata stated that the web browser will provide users with access to the full Web, enabling them to surf websites, mobile blogging and social networking.

It will also support local language websites such as BBC Hindi, Dainik Bhaskar and others and it will include bookmarks, secure access to e-mail and online banking.

''We are bringing one the world's best mobile Web browsing experience to India and are the first operator to enable this experience for Indian consumers,'' said Mr Sethi.

UNI