MTN Village Phone, launched in November 2003, extends telecommunication access to rural areas across Uganda in partnership with micro finance institutions (MFIs) by creating opportunities for individuals in impoverished areas to become village phone operators.
The MTN Village Phone initiative has registered 2,000 village phone operators in its two years of operation.
Richard Mwami, the general manager, attributed the fast growth to its partnership with several micro finance institutions (MFIs) and the ability to fight poverty in the rural areas.
"We offer a unique telecommunication solution. It is an affordable product and customers consider it value for money" said Mr. Mwami.
He said operators also realised reasonable profit margins from running the village phone businesses."All these factors have played a role in its successful rollout."
The equipment package includes a car battery or solar power panel, a wireless handset, a user manual and a fixed line dedicated simcard that can be loaded with the prepaid airtime.Village Phone Operators take a "micro-loan" for the equipment for $230 repaid over 12 months.
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