A Structured Approach for Bringing Mobile Telecommunications to the World's Poor

Abstract

Why haven't mobile network operators seized the opportunity at the base of the economic pyramid? The explanations are well known; non-existent distribution channels, illiteracy, poverty, and sometimes even war or violent insurgencies can stifle the enthusiasm of companies in serving people living in poverty. Indeed, most MNOs have elected to ignore these consumer segments, and focus on the ‘low hanging fruit – customers in the middle and upper income brackets. But while the vast majority of mobile operators have seen these challenges as insurmountable barriers, other have quietly pursued strategies of experimentation in developing unique product and service propositions for some of the world's most needy consumers. At the heart of these success stories has been the development of an approach that delivers a structured approach to serving the world's poor: the 4As – availability, affordability, awareness and acceptability.