Industry body for mobile telecom communications, GSMA and Streamr will together deliver a technological accelerator programme to selected MNOs. The initiative hopes to fast-track the adoption of new technologies that allow users to share and monetise data from their mobile devices in partnership with operators.
The pilot is designed to allow telcos to monetise its data in a fully compliant manner. End-users will be asked outright if they want to join the Data Union to ‘sell’ their data on Streamr’s marketplace, or opt out, using a smartphone app – although no data will actually be traded as part of the study.
“Given regulatory changes, and rapidly changing consumer attitudes to both privacy and the value of their data, the only sustainable way for MNOs to monetise mobile data, is by gaining overt consent from their users,” said Shiv Malik, head of growth at Streamr.
“We also know that the consumer insights industry is desperately underserved when it comes to data from mobiles. We are confident that Streamr’s revolutionary Data Union framework allows them to capture and record this consent dynamically and securely.”
In addition, the pilot will also feature a significant research element, gathering user experiences around having the ability to control how, and with whom, their data is shared - as well as how they feel about receiving a share of its value in the future. Learnings will also inform network user retention strategies.
“It’s very exciting to consider the potential for this pilot. MNOs are ideally positioned to unlock the rich customer insights that their subscribers create on their devices each day,” added Henri Pihkala, co-founder at Streamr.
“Privacy focused data monetisation that works with those users, presents a significant new income stream, as the industry faces multiple pressures on existing revenues”.
