Nokia, GFUSA Bring Affordable Telecommunications to Rural Africa
IT News Online Staff
2005-11-17
Nokia and Grameen Foundation USA (GFUSA) have collaborated to bring affordable, accessible telecommunications to rural villages in Africa through microfinance. The collaboration builds on GFUSA's global Village Phone initiative that helps people living in rural areas start self-sustaining businesses while providing affordable telecommunications to their communities.
The Village Phone initiative uses tiny loans, financial services and mobile technology to provide affordable access in a sustainable manner.
The collaboration between Nokia and GFUSA will accelerate efforts to make universal access, particularly in rural areas of Africa a reality. The two partners have developed a solution based on Nokia's most affordable phones and an external antenna to serve rural communities in Uganda and Rwanda, the two countries where GFUSA's Village Phone currently operates.
"Last September, the important milestone of two billion mobile subscriptions was achieved. Rural connectivity will play a major role in reaching the next billion subscribers and ultimately connecting half the world. Nokia is proud to collaborate with GFUSA on this significant initiative," said Antonio Torres, Director of Business Development and Industry Marketing for Nokia's Entry Business Unit.
"By leveraging microfinance, a proven poverty reduction strategy, and technology, GFUSA's Village Phone is playing an important role in alleviating poverty and connecting rural communities," said David Keogh, Deputy Director of GFUSA's Grameen Technology Center.
Nokia and GFUSA will also conduct a study to further examine the broader impact of the mobile telecommunications on socio-economic development and individual business integration as well as to evaluate microfinance as a sustainable tool to make telecommunications access more affordable.
|
