Zain and STC’s Viva have become the latest operators to launch mobile remittance schemes when they announced the introduction of banking solutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda; and Kuwait respectively last month. They join a growing number of operators forging a path to integrate mobile remittance schemes into a core part of their customer acquisition and retention strategy. Gavin Krugel, the director of the GSM Association’s (GSMA) mobile money transfer (MMT) initiative, explains how the organisation intends to streamline the rollout of such schemes across the globe while ensuring interoperability between transfer systems
The GSMA is looking for additional providers of international remittance to complement its existing partnership with Western Union. It is hoped this will allow more cross-border transfers through the interconnection of mobile remittance systems between different operators in different countries, and increase the number of ways in which individuals can send or receive money. Last December Western Union teamed up with Safaricom’s hugely successful M-Pesa programme to allow customers in the UK to transfer cash to M-Pesa users in Kenya. Gavin Krugel says that it is imperative that systems become interoperable, and this is a key area the GSMA is promoting.
The circumstances surrounding the postponement of Pakistan’s 3G auction remain murky; with the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) originally planning a process to be completed by the end of 2008, yet no such event has yet occurred. The PTA has not issued an official statement as to why the auction has not taken place or when one might do, suggesting the process is on hold indefinitely, due to the global economic crisis lowering the potential sale price that can be achieved, as well as the risk of limited interest from bidders.
When it is communicated clearly and simply in figures, often times a picture is much clearer than the best intended explanations. In the last half of 2008, and in particular the last quarter, Motorola added its voice to the chorus of LTE evangelists more audibly than it has ever done in the past. The vendor’s official position on this increased publication relations effort around the technology, is that with LTE standards entering their final stages of ratification, and with delivery estimates realistically being set as late this year and early next, the time is now right for Motorola to communicate that it is a viable infrastructure partner for this next generation of mobile technology.
Two years ago there was widespread interest in the possibility of MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) business models entering the Middle East. Interest tended to focus on the superficial benefits that an MVNO can deliver: greater customer focus, more flexible customer care models, more effective distribution, environmental benefits and, of course, lower prices.
