Bharti Airtel, India’s 2nd largest telco, announces collaboration with Google to offer a compelling Google One cloud storage subscription service for Airtel customers, helping address the mounting challenge of limited device storage. The offer will facilitate 100 GB of Google One cloud storage at no extra cost to Airtel's postpaid and Wi-Fi customers for six months.
Furthermore, the user will be able to share the storage with up to five additional people. The collaboration aims to address the growing constraints of storage faced by users these days. Through this, the users will get access to ample storage to store their cherished photos, videos, documents, and other digital content without the need to frequently delete files or resort to expensive physical storage expansions.
Compatibility: iPhone & Android
WhatsApp chats on Android are backed up to Google Account storage, making device switching seamless for users. With cloud backup support across both Android and iOS, Airtel customers can access their WhatsApp chats anywhere, without being limited by the type of device they use.
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Free for up to 6 months
As an introductory offer, the 100 GB cloud storage will be available at no extra cost for the first six months from the date of activation. To avail of it, customers will have to simply log on to the Airtel Thanks App and claim the benefit. After six months, the 100 GB storage facility will be available to the users for a nominal fee of ₹125 per month.
If the user is not willing to continue the services, they may call them off anytime.
Convergence of Telecom and Digital
The deal seems pretty much beneficial for both companies. Firstly, it provides Airtel a highly attractive USP in a market primarily dominated by Jio, while for Google, this collaboration would derive some real revenue for its Google One Oneventure and expand its reach in India.
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This follows the previously available trend of offering subscriptions with monthly recharge, like it happens with OTTs even today, but this instills a much more inherent tendency into phone usage habits, where people, once opting for it, won’t be able to track back in the lure of their cherished data.
Storage—A Critical Issue
Siddharth Sharma, Director of Marketing and CEO of Connected Homes, Bharti Airtel, said, “With smartphones becoming the main device for managing both personal and professional information, storage has become a significant concern for users. We are pleased to collaborate with Google to address this issue by providing our customers with dependable, secure, and user-friendly storage solutions. This partnership will present an opportunity for millions of our postpaid Wi-Fi customers, allowing them access to a further 100 GB of storage.”