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The village-phone scheme pioneered by GrameenPhone in Bangladesh has been successfully implemented in Uganda and Rwanda by South Africa’s MTN, and in the Philippines by Globe Telecom. The common thread to these replications is consulting advice from the Technology Group at Grameen Foundation USA.
After several years working out the kinks and writing manuals to ease implemenation, Grameen Foundation has now released a Village Phone Direct kit, which it sells to microfinance institutions around the globe. The kit includes:
- Nokia mobile phone with earpiece
- External booster antenna for areas without strong mobile signal coverage
- Custom designed cables to connect the phone to the antenna and the recharging equipment such as a automobile battery or a solar panel
To complete the Village Phone Equipment Kit for the microfinance client, a SIM card and prepaid airtime, which can be purchased through regular outlets.
Source: You Can Hear Me Now
That’s nice of them, I really don’t see anyone penetrating the ultra low end market like Nokia. Yes Motorola has that new Motofone that’s about $50 and looks freaking awesome, but $50 is still of money when you think about it.
About The Author
Stefan Constantinescu
Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.
