Operators intend to change the use of consumer data and the decision will affect WhatsApp.
Most Brazilians use the WhatsApp messaging app very frequently, both personally and professionally. In recent years, the number of companies that have turned to the platform to conduct their sales online and increase their revenue, in addition to facilitating customer service, has grown considerably. The large number of WhatsApp users is due to the convenience of sending messages, photos, videos, audio messages and also making voice and video calls.
In Brazil, the main telephone operators, Claro, Vivo and Tim, offer several internet and call data plans, and offer a service to users called “zero rating”. This service offers free access to WhatsApp, without any deductions from the operator’s internet consumption. In other words, you can send unlimited messages on the app, without any amount being deducted from your operator’s plan.
However, this service is no longer pleasing the operators, who want to start charging for consumers to use WhatsApp, and the issue is causing a stir. Find out all the details about this decision by the operators and learn how this change can affect your data usage.
Zero rating
Zero rating is an offer of access to applications like WhatsApp, YouTube and other audio and video platforms, which operators give to customers, without using the plan's data consumption. This strategy of operators of offering consumption for free has attracted many customers over the years, since the use of these apps has increased significantly, and ends up being an advantage for plan subscribers.
However, apparently, the service has only brought advantages to customers, since operators are thinking about ending this facility. Data consumption has grown a lot with the use of 4G, and with the evolution of 5G in the country, the trend is for it to grow even more. For this reason, operators are looking for ways to maximize gains and invest in network capacity, to work even harder on the expansion of 5G, which has been gaining more users as it reaches more cities.
Operators
Discussion on the matter intensified last month, when at an event, Claro Brasil CEO José Feliz stated that the strategy is seen as a mistake by telecommunications companies, but that there is still time to review the strategy. After his speech, directors of other operators stated that they are discussing the matter and the end of the service will be done gradually.
In a recent interview, the president of TIM Brasil, Alberto Griselli, stated that WhatsApp was just a messaging app a few years ago, but today it goes beyond that and ends up consuming more data.
According to TIM's marketing director, Paulo Esperando Júnior, customer usage has also increased, and with the migration from 4G to 5G, data consumption grows from 40% to 50% per month, and therefore, agility is important to deliver an ideal service to customers.
In parallel with this decision, TIM began including new services in its packages, such as digital banking, healthcare with telemedicine and education. According to Griselli, the idea is to create benefits for customers with some utility.
