Free mobile internet in exchange for participation in local offers

Belgian mobile operator Mobile Vikings recently launched VikingSpots, an experiment in which customers can earn free mobile internet service by participating in offers from local businesses.

It’s been a few years since we’ve looked at initiatives offering free mobile services, but the ones we’ve seen so far have generally used ads to make their free offerings possible. Recently, however, Belgian mobile operator Mobile Vikings launched VikingSpots, an experiment in which customers can earn free mobile internet service by participating in offers from local businesses. Now in beta, VikingSpots is currently open only to a small set of Mobile Vikings users in Belgium’s Hasselt area, but a broader roll-out is planned for the first half of this year. To make its free mobile internet service possible, Mobile Vikings — an initiative of CityLive — has set up a network of local “spots,” or participating local businesses. When Mobile Vikings users interact with those spots — such as by using the new, Belgian Carambla app to offer a free parking spot to a driver who needs one — they can earn free “Viking Points” which can be exchanged for mobile service, according to a report on ZDNet. Free love ia almost always a hit with consumers, but powering it through local business offers — with benefits for everyone involved — adds a new twist entirely. One to watch and learn from! Spotted by: Kevin de Caluwé