Now the illiterate poor in Bangladesh can send voice messages as cheaply and easily as text messages. Bangladesh’s largest telecommunications service provider, GrameenPhone, recently announced a Short Message Service (SMS) available to its subscribers nationwide. This new low-cost technology provided by U.S. based Kirusa, a technology company, will benefit GrameenPhone’s one million poor and illiterate customers in Bangladesh who can now send a voice message like a text message.

In the past, we have highlighted specifically that GrameenPhone is a ‘hot stock’ and generally that broad access to wireless telephony lessens poverty. Will we see more partnerships between micro-lenders and wireless providers to eradicate poverty through profits?

1) Main article discussed in entry, Market Wire: “GrameenPhone Selects Kirusa Technology to Launch Voice SMS.”
2) MicroCapital Blog: “Grameen Phone—A Hot Stock.”
3) MicroCapital Blog: “The Real Digital Divide.”