Nigerian startup creates data-free app to enhance affordability

BY: ONOME AMUGE

Internet usage in the last decade has served as one of the most valuable and indispensable tools feeding the demands of a rapidly evolving world. Today, virtually all organisations, institutions and other sectors of the modern world depend on internet-based data to access and process information. Business trends are also not left out in the mix as business organisations and financial institutions have continuously strengthened their grasps on data utilisation.

Despite the rising impact of the internet globally, internet accessibility and affordability has been described as one of the challenges encountered by the African populace.

Focusing on the challenges of data utilisation in Africa, Simplifyd Systems Inc, a YCombinator backed company, reported that countries on the African continent, including Nigeria, pay the highest rates in the world to access mobile internet in proportion to income.

And in a bid to address the challenges associated with accessing affordable data, the Nigerian startup recently announced the launch of ZeroData, a toll-free internet app platform, targeted at creating a convenient channel of accessing affordable data amidst the staggering rate of data consumption, especially amongst mobile and web app users in emerging markets across Africa

Tomi Amao, co-founder and chief executive officer of the company, said the platform was created out of a strong desire to solve Africa’s worrying data affordability challenge, alongside the drive to support greater digital inclusion across the continent.

“For us, the realisation that Africans pay the highest rate for mobile internet in the world proportional to income is worrying. This is a significant challenge that we are happy to solve sustainably through the launch of ZeroData,” he added.

Amao explained that users will only need to download the Zerodata app available for mobile (Android) and desktop (MacOS and Windows), which provides them with instant data-free access to listed apps & websites. He added that the ZeroData platform enables businesses to bundle data with their apps for the purpose of making them accessible and data-free to those who need it most.

Another significant uniqueness of ZeroData emphasised by the CEO is the availability of fine-grained policies, which help organisations define who should have data-free access to their apps, how much data free access each user gets, and how best to geolocate data free access to users in a particular location among others.

ZeroData, he explained further, is designed to cater to both users with active data plans and those with none.

“For users with an active data plan, their data plan isn’t consumed when they make use of the application. Our app also enables users with no active data plans to enjoy uninterrupted access to the Internet apps listed on the platform,” he said.