After Facebook, now access Twitter on mobiles without Internet

USSD technology used for pre-paid call-back service, location-based content services and menu-based information services

Almost 70 crore mobile users in India and around 80% in emerging markets, who do not have a mobile data connection, would soon be able to access social networking site Twitter using U2opia Mobile's app.

Fonetwish, an app developed by Singapore-based mobile solutions provider U2opia, is a USSD-based solution, which works on any mobile phone without an Internet connection.

USSD technology is used by telecom operators to send alerts to their users. It can be used for pre-paid call-back service, location-based content services and menu-based information services.

Facebook and Google Talk are using the application, which will also be available for Twitter in January-March next year, U2opia Mobile CEO Sumesh Menon said.

"Mobile users who do not have 2G, 3G, GPRS, etc on their handsets will have to dial a standard code through which they be able to access Twitter feed," he told PTI.

U2opia Mobile's Fonetwish-based services are globally available to end users at very economical price points, making it an affordable means of accessing the Internet, he said.

"We are already entrenched in 30 countries and over 45 of the world's biggest mobile carriers. U2opia is well-positioned to partner with Twitter to drive growth across Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East," Menon added.
 About 11 million users are already using Fonetwish to access Facebook and Google talk.

"Twitter enjoys a significant userbase in countries like Asia and we're keen about driving an even more significant imprint in the emerging markets," Menon said.

Twitter on USSD will be a compelling proposition for mobile-first and low-data-penetrated markets like these and the firm is excited about the roll-out, he added.

Besides India, Menon expects the service to drive up userbase in countries in emerging markets like Paraguay, Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nigeria, Ghana, etc.