By Molly Kennelly
As smartphones rise in popularity across the globe, many users face the issue of not being able to afford expensive data plans to access the Internet when not connected to Wi-Fi. The Boston-based company Jana has created an Android application that gives its users the ability to access data for free. Currently operating in 90 countries with over 30 million users, Jana’s mCent application allows users to use apps and view advertisements in exchange for mobile data.
CEO Nathan Eagle founded the company when working with nurses in Kenya. He helped build a system that allowed nurses to use SMS messaging to text blood supply levels at their hospitals to determine where more blood was needed. He soon found a steep decrease in the amount of nurses using the system, learning it was because they were spending their own money for the data to send the messages. Eagle then decided to find a way to make sure the nurses, and millions of other users who cannot easily afford access to data, would have a way to access mobile connectivity without it costing a large portion of their income.
Jana’s mission is to “make the Internet free for the next billion.” Users in 90 download their free mCent and access mobile data by exposure to chat, gaming, eCommerce, social media, and news applications. Businesses that participate see the benefits of increased app usage: higher visibility, faster scale, and a larger retention of users. Participating businesses include Amazon, Google, Zynga, Twitter and many more, allowing users to access these apps without using data while earning bytes of data to be used at their own discretion. Users may be asked to play a game for 10 minutes or send a message through an app in exchange for the bytes of data.
Millions of mCent users have reaped the benefits of earning data in exchange for using apps. Eagle often discusses how the positive effect Internet can bring to a person’s life, enabling individuals to have better communication, access to job opportunities, and a connection to the global network. Those earning minimum wage in Brazil and India would have to work between 13 and 17 hours to pay for 500MB of mobile data; using mCent, these people are able to quickly access data without sacrificing their income. In areas where access to Internet is difficult to come by, the app can be especially important. Eagle’s project in Kenya is one of those areas where often rural hospitals ended up siloed from a lack of connectivity. Now data is able to be quickly and easily shared.
While many users praise Jana and enjoy unrestricted access to data, some experts worry about the constant bombardment of messages from businesses in exchange for connectivity. Users of the mCent app are generally new to the Internet and may be preyed upon by this marketing. Eagle argues the Internet in the 21st century should be a basic human right and Jana’s model is the best way to give people the unrestricted access to the Internet they deserve. Though the app may face criticism, it is a brilliant way to allow millions of people, who would have otherwise been “left out” of the Internet, access to explore the myriad opportunities available through connectivity.
