The Tunisian subsidiary of Qatari operator group Ooredoo, Tunisiana, believes it has found a way to entice users in emerging markets into increasing their reliance on mobile data services. The operator said it saw the popularity of social networking site Facebook on fixed line networks in the country, and devised a tariff to cater to mobile users.

“The package is cheaper than the full mobile data package, but since so many people are using Facebook in Tunisia – it’s one of the most successful web services in the country – we decided to put together an entry level package,” explained Jalel Kamoun, BSS and VAS director at Tunisiana.

As wella s standard Facebook functionality, the Facebook Plus offering also allows users to view videos shared on the site from websites Youtube and Dailymotion. The operator also offers one day, one week and one month access for prepaid subscribers.

Kamoun added that when Tunisiana subscribers on the package try to log in into a web page other than Facebook, they are redirected to a landing page prompting them to upgrade to the full package.

“It’s a good entry point, because when subscribers get used to it, at a certain point they realise that they should upgrade,” Kamoun added.

“As an entry point, because when you move to 3G, there has to be a perception of value compared to what the competition offers. So instead of selling cheaper packages, why don’t you offer special packages that they don’t have? Make them the same price, and then slowly upgrade them to the higher plan.”