Google, Yahoo, Facebook shown the door

MUMBAI, INDIA: Responding to constant complaints by mobile customers regards constant distraction due to pop-up ads; a telecom network operator has taken a bold step, and has shown giants such as Google, Facebook and Yahoo, the door.

In a mobile world, where ads are one of the major sources of revenue for a business, telecom network operator Digicel has implemented technology that can block or control ads. Since the ads will be blocked at the network level, mobile customers will get a better experience, the company said.

Digicel is looking to tech companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook to enter into revenue sharing agreements in order to reinvest funds in network deployment. Currently, these companies do not pay to make use of the network and their services.

For this, Digicel has tied up with Israeli start-up, Shine Technologies, to deploy mobile ad control technology at the network level. Shine’s technology blocks display and video ads inserted by ad networks in both mobile browsers and apps.

Digicel is first rolling out the ad blocking technology in Jamaica and will take it to other markets in the Caribbean and South Pacific in the coming months.

Advertisements use almost 10 percent of a customers’ data plan allowance. The Digicel strategy will allow mobile customers to browse the Internet and apps without interruption from advertising messages. The strategy will create challenges to several social media websites.

“Companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook talk a great game and take a lot of credit when it comes to pushing the idea of broadband for all–but they put no money. Instead they unashamedly trade off the efforts and investments of network operators to make money for themselves,” said Denis O’Brien, Chairman, Digicel Group.