2000年-世界发展银行全球_Bringing_Cellular_Phone_Service_to_Rural_Areas___Grameen_Telecom_and_Village_Pay_Phones_in_Bangladesh_4页_332kb

Summary of Viewpoint 21462: Bringing Cellular Phone Service to Rural Areas

Core Content

This document discusses the initiative of Grameen Telecom and village pay phones in Bangladesh, a country with one of the least developed telecommunications systems. With a population density of over 1,000 people per square kilometer and a low penetration rate of less than four lines per 1,000 people, Bangladesh has struggled to provide reliable communication services to rural areas. Grameen Telecom, a not-for-profit organization, addresses this issue by offering affordable cellular pay phone service to rural communities through a partnership with GrameenPhone, a for-profit cellular operator.

Main Viewpoints

• Grameen Telecom's Model: Grameen Telecom operates as a not-for-profit entity, supported by Grameen Bank, a successful microcredit institution. The model relies on collective affordability, as individual phone ownership is unaffordable for many rural residents.

• Village Pay Phone Operators: These are literate women entrepreneurs with a good credit history, who operate pay phones in their shops or local marketplaces. They charge customers for calls and retain a margin after paying Grameen Telecom.

• Financing and Billing:

  • Grameen Bank provides lease financing for handsets, covering the cost of the phone and connection fee.
  • Operators pay a minimum monthly usage charge and airtime charges.
  • Revenue from these services helps pay off debts and support livelihoods.
  • Grameen Telecom collects revenue from GrameenPhone and distributes 65% to Grameen Bank and 35% to itself.

• Network Access:

  • GrameenPhone is a joint venture between Grameen Telecom and Telenor (Norway), with Grameen Telecom holding 35% equity.
  • GrameenPhone has a national license and exclusive rights to operate the optical fiber backbone of Bangladesh Railways.
  • However, its expansion has been focused on urban areas and railway networks, limiting rural access.

• Challenges to Expansion:

  • Interconnection issues with BTTB (Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board) have hindered network development.
  • High long-distance and international call rates due to BTTB's monopoly pricing.
  • Financing constraints for rural expansion, with limited grant funding available.
  • Regulatory hurdles in obtaining radio spectrum, increasing network costs.

Key Information

• Target: Grameen Telecom aimed to install 40,000 village pay phones by 2002, but by January 2000, only 1,700 had been installed.
• Impact: The program has provided telephone access to nearly 2.8 million poor villagers in 1,100 villages, significantly improving communication, bargaining power, and economic opportunities.
• Economic Performance:
  • Operators' net income averages US$52 per month.
  • Revenue per village phone increased from US$65 in 1999 to US$148 in 2000.
• Sustainability Concerns: Grameen Telecom is unlikely to break even in the short to medium term due to the slow expansion rate and high costs.

Conclusion

The village pay phone initiative has had a positive impact on rural communities in Bangladesh, offering affordable access to communication services and supporting entrepreneurship. However, GrameenPhone's expansion into rural areas remains limited due to regulatory, financial, and operational constraints. For Grameen Telecom to meet its targets and ensure sustainability, accelerated network development in rural regions is essential.

Table: Village Pay Phone Billing Structure

Item	Call from GrameenPhone network to BTTB	Mobile call within GrameenPhone's network
BTTB rate per call	3.54	n.a.
GrameenPhone rate per minute	4.17	4.17
Value added tax (15%)	1.15	0.62
Service fee (15%)	1.33	0.73
Total paid by retailer to Grameen Telecom	10.19	5.52
Retailer charges to client	12.50	10.42
Margin made by retailer	2.31	4.90
65% to Grameen Bank	0.85	0.48
35% to Grameen Telecom	0.48	0.25