Read the text below.
Google has announced that its virtual assistant will now be available for people who have no Internet access in India.
Available on Internet-connected devices like smartphones and laptops, Google Assistant is a voice-activated assistant tool that performs functions according to its user’s commands. The tool can do several things like searching the Internet, playing music, and making calls for its users.
To make Google Assistant available to people in India who do not have Internet connectivity, Google partnered up with Vodafone, a telecommunications service provider. Anyone connected to the Vodafone network in the country can now purchase the provider’s newest telephone line service that connects to Google Assistant. The telephone line will be available around the clock and free of charge.
To activate the service, people need to dial a thirteen-digit toll-free number using their phones. When callers are connected to the virtual assistant, they may ask questions about different topics, such as sports updates, traffic conditions, weather forecasts, and directions to a specific location. The conversations will be instantaneous and feel like users are talking to a real person.
However, some Google Assistant features that require connection to the Internet, such as creating a schedule for a calendar event, will not be available.
Through this initiative, Google hopes to reach millions of people in India who do not have access to the Internet. Data shows that almost 900 million people in India are still not connected to the Internet. Thus, tech companies have to put in extra effort to make their products and services accessible to the Indian population.
Google tested the newest phone assistant service in two cities before rolling it out nationwide.