Twitter Hopes To Grow In Emerging Markets With A 'Lite' Option

Twitter Inc TWTR hopes to grow its social media presence in emerging markets with a "Lite" mobile option.

According to a CNBC report, Twitter launched a new mobile web-based version of its social media that uses less data. The reason for this is that internet connections in many emerging markets are "patchy."

Recognizing Current Realities And Future Trends

The service, officially called "Twitter Lite," is only available through a mobile web browser and consumes less than 1 megabyte on a device. As such, users can access the social media platform up to 30 percent faster versus the app without compromising key features such as timeline, tweets, direct messages and more.

In addition, users can save even more time (and data) with a mode that allows user to preview images and videos before they are fully downloaded. Users will also be able to receive push notifications and a Twitter icon can be added to a user's home screen to launch the platform automatically.

Twitter's struggles in key markets remain well understood but the company is looking to tap the very large and under-utilized emerging market. In fact, by 2020 there will be 5.7 billion smartphones that are connected to the internet and for every 10 new mobile subscribers, nine will come from emerging markets.

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