Telegram has announced that in 2021 it would launch a paid service for users.
Its Russian co-founder, Pavel Durov, said that the company plans on earning revenue in the coming year.
He added that the company plans on updating its platform by creating premium features and an ad platform.
“We will be able to launch countless new features and welcome billions of new users.”
Although the company has been putting out new features; recently, it introduced SD card support, always-on voice chat and new animations.
Durov explained that his savings were the primary source of funding for the company, but it wouldn’t be sustainable in the long run.
He added that he doesn’t plan on selling it; hence, his approach to finding other means.
With this, he came up with two sustainable plans.
The plans
First, it plans on introducing a paid feature in 2021 aimed at business and power users.
However, the current features will remain free.
Secondly, it plans to introduce a user-friendly ad platform, respect privacy, and make up for traffic and server cost.
However, ads won’t be displayed in personal chats or group chat.
But public accounts with many audiences will be monetised.
Also, all parts of Telegram that are devoted to messaging will be free of ads.
Durov maintained that communication between people should be free of advertising.
Concerning the paid-for services, Durov said that the premium users will pay for features that require additional resources.
While the regular users will begin to enjoy the free features.
ALSO READ: Health Tech Startup Raises $3.75 Million To Bring Diagnosis To Rural Areas
In his statement, he said:
“If Telegram starts earning money, the community should also benefit.
“For example, If we monetize large public one-to-many channels via the Ad Platform, the owners of these channels will receive free traffic in proportion to their size.
“Or, if Telegram introduces premium stickers with additional expressive features, the artists who make stickers of this new type will also get a part of the profit.
“We want millions of Telegram-based creators and small businesses to thrive, enriching the experience of all our users.
“The world needs Telegram to stay independent as a place where users are respected and high-quality service is ensured.
“Telegram must continue to serve the world as an example of a tech company that strives for perfection and integrity.
“And, as the sad examples of our predecessors’ show, that is impossible if you become part of a corporation,”
Found this interesting? Share!
and then