Cellular Goes Rural

"GrameenPhone" might have been born

in Bangladesh, but soon it is likely to join the international

cellular jargon. Rural cellular marketing, by Vodaphone in South

Africa, where many villagers made their first-ever call using

pre-paid, was recently rewarded by GSM MoU Association at GSM

World Congress in Cannes. "GrameenPhone", the unique

cellular operator from Bangladesh, also made an impressive

presentation at Cannes. Indian operators too are seriously

looking at the rural pockets where despite impressive line up of

consumer appliances like colour TVs, frost-free refrigerators,

scooters, and even marutis, many people are yet to make that

first call. Spread over vast areas in UP, Bihar, and Orissa,

Ushafone cellular service now covers about 500 villages, modestly

moving towards the litmus test of mass-marketing. Who are these

rural early-adopters!

alt="Radha, pradhan of village Mureshi in UP." align="right"

vspace="3" width="106" height="89">Take for

instance, Radha, the veiled Pradhan of the village called

Mureshi near Aligarh in UP. She may be the Pradhan but,

keeping in with the tradition of the place, she has never visited

a PCO. It was unthinkable to make a telephone call to her married

daughter in a distant place as she has so far not succeeded in

getting a telephone installed at her home. Now a proud possessor

of a cellphone, she can talk to her daughter in privacy even from

behind the veil. Also she knows that her daughter can reach her

in the moments of need. Life was never so emotionally secure!

alt="Shiv Nandan, the gur-trader from Nayee Basti." align="left"

vspace="3" width="128" height="89">It was a

nightmare for Shiv Nandan of village Nayee Basti near Bulandshahr

to transport gur (unrefined sugar-cakes) to the mandi

(the wholesale market) only to find unfavourable prices. After

taking to cellular, he now keeps a watch on the market-price

trends and is able to close the right deal before despatching his

gur stock to the mandi. Life had never been so profitable!

alt="Veerpal, a farmer from village Amarpur." align="right"

vspace="3" width="85" height="89">Veerpal, a

farmer with about 100 acres of land, in village Amarpur, also,

near Bulandshahr, when given a demo of cellphone thought it was

God-sent and subscribed it instantaneously. Now, he does not have

to rush to the city everytime he needs even the smallest help

whether for repair of his farm machines or tractors. Now he

orders around over his cellphone. The time had never been managed

so well!

In Tazpur and Amarpur, the two villages on

Bulandshahr-Meerut Road, more than 80 percent of the men folk,

covering almost all families, are working in Middle East and they

could not call their wives or families as there was no PCO in

these villages, the nearest one being 30 kms away. Though there

are only few cellular subscribers they believe in sharing the

cellphone and the bill is split among individual receivers of

calls. No more long wait for the postman: the letters are loosing

importance as they sometimes lost meaning by the time they were

received.

There have been many other noticeable changes

in the lives of these rural folk since the arrival of cellphone.

The election activity had a different pitch this time with many

of the village pradhans and other party workers

subscribing to the cellular: for instance, the canvassing and

counting could be monitored closely.

There are many branches of banks and other

essential services in the rural areas which are eager to

subscribe to the cellular service. The branch manager of State

Bank of India of village Bilsun feels that the bank started

functioning far more efficiently with the arrival of the

cellphone. A sure tool for better customer service!

GrmeenPhone

align="right" hspace="0" width="295" height="196"> color="#000000" size="2">A unique Bangladesh operator focusing on providing cellular to rural people, primarily women, to create employment opportunities and empower them socially and politically. about 20000 subscribers in January 1998 (enrollment constrained only by interconnection capacity) using nation-wide fibre optic backbone of Railways (leased for 20 years) Benefiting from the strengths of Grameen Bank: specialized financial institution for rural areas 2.1 million borrowers cum owners (poor people) with one share 37,352 villages covered (55% of villages served) $33 million lent monthly ($154 million saved by borrowers) 97 percent loans (for cows, sewing machines to cellphones) recovered 94 percent borrowers are women loans without collateral

Tool for Growth

Many people have been eager to meet Chacha

Ramdin. But Chacha always felt that there were all these

heroes from the real life who need attention and empowerment

through the economic tool called "cellular".