Nokia connects low income masses

Sri Lanka too to benefit:

Suharshi Perera in New Delhi

INDIA: Nokia, the leading mobile phone manufacturer expanded its dominance in the telecommunication industry when it unveiled seven new products particularly targeting first-time users and low income groups, in New Delhi, India yesterday.

The new types of phones which were launched under the theme “Everyone has a reason” target low income groups in the Asia Pacific region whose daily income is between US$ 30 to 50 per day.

In crafting these new products affordability remained the key factor and the challenge, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia Soren Petersen said.

“Infrastructure, knowledge and culture of the region were also taken into account in introducing the new product,” Petersen remarked.

By 2007 Nokia connects a network of three billion subscribers in which China and the Asian Pacific region comprise the half of it, Nokia Senior Vice President, Customer and Market Operations for Asia Pacific Upro Karjalainen said.

“With the introduction the company expects to capture the markets in India, Sri Lanka, China and Bangladesh,” he added.

At the launch Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 with phone-sharing and call tracking were launched to the market aiming the first-time mobile consumers.

Nokia 1650and Nokia 2660, GPRS based phones enables to access internet and email and has the F.M radio facility. Nokia 2505 is the latest phone for entry CDMA markets. Nokia 2630 and 2760 carry a host of latest features including camera, F.M radio and Bluetooth connection.

Prices of these phones range from 50 to 90 euros.

“According to the latest surveys consumers consider a few main aspects such as reliability, durability, ease of use, feature content, affordability and choice. So mobile phone manufacturers have to take the factors when catering to these markets,” Soren Petersen said.

Nokia hopes the low budget phones will bridge the digital divide focusing 800 million unconnected in Asia, Latin America and Africa, he said.