Messaging App Telegram to Launch Paid Subscription Plan

The Telegram logo is seen on a screen of a smartphone in this picture illustration taken April 13, 2018. (Reuters)
The Telegram logo is seen on a screen of a smartphone in this picture illustration taken April 13, 2018. (Reuters)
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Messaging App Telegram to Launch Paid Subscription Plan

The Telegram logo is seen on a screen of a smartphone in this picture illustration taken April 13, 2018. (Reuters)
The Telegram logo is seen on a screen of a smartphone in this picture illustration taken April 13, 2018. (Reuters)

Messaging app Telegram will launch a paid subscription plan for its users this month, founder Pavel Durov said on Friday.

Users who will opt for Telegram Premium will get a higher limit for chats, media and file uploads, Durov said in a blogpost.

"The only way to let our most demanding fans get more while keeping our existing features free is to make those raised limits a paid option," he said.

The app, along with messaging tool Signal, have seen an increase in users following privacy concerns with larger rival WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms Inc. Telegram currently has 500 million monthly active users and is one of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world, according to its website.

Durov said the move to offer a paid subscription was to ensure that Telegram remains funded primarily by its users and not advertisers.



EIB to Allot 70 Bln Euros for Tech Sector in 2025-2027

FILE PHOTO: The logo of the European Investment Bank is pictured in the city of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, March 25, 2017. Reuters/Eric Vidal/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the European Investment Bank is pictured in the city of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, March 25, 2017. Reuters/Eric Vidal/File Photo
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EIB to Allot 70 Bln Euros for Tech Sector in 2025-2027

FILE PHOTO: The logo of the European Investment Bank is pictured in the city of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, March 25, 2017. Reuters/Eric Vidal/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the European Investment Bank is pictured in the city of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, March 25, 2017. Reuters/Eric Vidal/File Photo

The European Investment Bank is likely to announce on Friday plans to pump 70 billion euros into the development of European technology firms over the next three years, EU officials said.

The program, called Tech EU, is meant to help Europe compete with China and the United States in the race for innovative clean and digital technologies.

The EIB, the biggest multilateral lender in the world with a balance sheet total of 556 billion euros, expects its own 70 bln euros to mobilize a further 250 billion euros of private cash as investors crowd into projects supported by the EIB, Reuters quoted EU officials as saying.

The 70 billion is to be split into 20 billion euros for equity and quasi-equity, 40 billion euros for loans and 10 billion for guarantees in 2025-2027, the officials said.

The plan is to complement European Commission efforts to support higher risk ventures and innovative companies throughout their investment journey, from proof of concept to an initial public offering.

The EIB wants to focus on supercomputing, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, critical raw materials, green industries such as offshore wind, health, security and defense technologies, robotics and advanced materials, the officials said.