BLOG
News + Articles
November 8, 2022
Financial Identity as a Service (FiDaaS): Should MNOs Be Offering It?
With the demand for traditional mobile services, like voice calls and text messages, ever on the decline, customer churn and dwindling revenues are becoming increasing concerns for mobile network operators (MNOs). As an MNO, evolving and adapting needs to be part of your DNA to remain competitive and relevant to customers.
Read MoreAugust 9, 2022
Examining AI in the Mobile Network Industry
The telecom industry is experiencing technological growth and innovation never seen before, propelled forward by the advent of 5G broadband as well as the internet of things (IoT) capabilities. Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently experiencing a boom, with many mobile network operating (MNO) companies adopting AI to assist in their complex management operations. With its multipurpose and multifunction capabilities, AI has the potential to be a key driver for growth in numerous areas, ranging from infrastructure maintenance to sales and retail operations.
Read MoreJuly 22, 2022
5 Steps to Renewal: Ways MNOs Can Win - And Keep – Their Subscribers
For mobile network operators, churn is an ongoing concern - one thatis, unfortunately, worsening instead of improving. MNOs face incoming challenges from every direction, market saturation,stiff competition both inside and outside the mobile communications industryand growing customer disinterest in the services they’ve always offered. The mobile network industry is getting more saturated by the day. Newmobile network service providers are entering the market daily, offering morefor less and compelling customers to window shop, impacting their loyalty.
Read MoreJuly 22, 2022
Nkalime M-Pesa: Bringing Financial Inclusivity to the People of Lesotho
Success is better when it’s shared - whether it’s among friends, family, loved ones or communities. Success should be available to all, irrespective of where they come from or what their dreams are. With a large majority of Basotho being unbanked, access to loans and other financial services are limited and often hard to obtain, making it all the more difficult to access the capital they need to turn their dreams into tangible success stories. Recognising this gap in service delivery, Vodacom (VCL) financial services and Airvantage Lesotho decided to work together to find a solution that combines the benefits and capabilities of mobile money with the need for instant access to financial services. By leveraging the data gathered from individual mobile money users, both parties were able to build a custom solution capable of bringing greater financial inclusivity to the people of Lesotho.
Read MoreJuly 14, 2022
Mobile Money Wallets - Is It Time to Start Offering Them To Your Customers?
Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) currently find themselves in a bind. Their primary service - the service which has, up to this point, always defined their identity - of instant communication no longer has the value it once did. Landline, mobile and broadband services have all been eclipsed by instant messaging services and social platforms powered by wireless connectivity. And MNOs are feeling the sting in their pockets. By no longer being the gatekeepers of analogue and digital communication, operators are struggling to redefine themselves in a post-call landscape.
Read MoreJune 28, 2022
The Potential Of Mobile Money in South Africa
Across the continent of Africa, mobile money has experienced a massive rise in popularity. Large populations of people across developing markets who have limited access to formal banking systems or the documentation required to open a bank account are drawn to the easy availability of mobile banking and the minimal processes required to obtain mobile money.
Read MoreJune 20, 2022
Handset Financing: Everyone Wants It, So Why Do So Few MNOs Offer It?
Across both developed and emerging markets, technology can act as the ultimate equaliser, bridging the divide and providing more equal opportunities to people around the world. In particular, mobile devices and the capabilities they offer can help people to access services they might otherwise not be able to procure and help businesses and customers to stay connected 24/7.
Read MoreMarch 22, 2022
Feature Phones: Why Mobile Operators (MNO's) Should Stop Servicing Them
For mobile network operators, feature phones that rely on the legacy of 2G are no longer worth servicing. With the mass usage of 4G and introduction of 5G, and their abilities to power mobile broadband services, there’s no longer the same reason or incentive to keep providing coverage for 2G featurephones when that spectrum could be re-farmed into more profitable 3G, 4G and5G. This effectively means switching off service to older feature phones that still rely on 2G. Although many customers hold onto legacy devices out of habit or to spend less on mobile costs, the returns of continuing to service them are no longer worth the effort for MNOs. It’s time for MNOs to stop providing coverage feature phones and migrate customers over to more robust and serviceable smartphones. Keep reading to find out why it's in MNOs best interest to stop servicing feature phones.
Read MoreMarch 14, 2022
Airtime-Based Credit Scoring – How to Drive Customer Growth and Engagement
According to the World Bank, around 2 billion individuals around the world remain unbanked and have no bank account. These people struggle to access basic banking services like loans and credit and are drastically underserved by these financial institutions. MNOs, with their vast access to customer data, are in a unique position to step in and help bridge the gap between banks and the underbanked. Airtime-based credit scoring is the way to do this. Through airtime-based credit scoring, MNOs can safely and incrementally offer credit to existing customers without taking on exorbitant risk and ultimately increase their bottom line. Dubbed the “mobile identity market”, credit profiling based on advanced airtime usage represents a lucrative opportunity for pursuing new service avenues and growing their customer base. Read on to learn how airtime-based credit scoring can help MNOs and the underbanked.
Read MoreMarch 6, 2022
The Benefits Of Providing Liquidity For Mobile Money
Mobile money has become a key financial enabler for many customers across developing markets, particularly here in Africa. The ease of access to instant funds without needing an existing bank account or credit card is particularly appealing to consumers in rural areas or lower-income households who might not have access to traditional banking services. However, mobile money services are also extremely popular across the socioeconomic spectrum, especially the younger generation of consumers on the continent, who run their daily lives from their mobile phones. For mobile network operators, securing profits and driving ongoing revenue growth have proven challenging in recent years, thanks to a drop in demand for traditional mobile services and emerging competition from fintech companies. Providing liquidity for mobile money and offering mobile money services has the potential to benefit both MNOs and consumers. Read on to discover the benefits of providing liquidity for mobile money.
Read MoreFebruary 26, 2022
The Benefits of Offering Handset Financing to Customers | Airvantage
Across the board, but especially in emerging markets, mobile network operators are eager to migrate customers from 2G to 4G. This migration moves customers off of outdated feature phones that bring in minimal revenue and equips them with smartphones that allow them to access a range of digital services and enjoy a superior customer experience. However, the cost of upgrading from a feature phone to a smartphone has risen significantly over the years and, for many customers in developing markets, it remains prohibitive. Handset financing is a solution to this problem that allows customers to access smartphones and prevents MNOs fromleaving revenue on the table. Read on to learn more about the risks and benefits of offering handsetfinancing to your customers.
Read MoreFebruary 18, 2022
The Benefits of Agent Lending
As remote work becomes a permanent fixture and mobile connectivity becomes an integral part of daily life, telcos are facing the challenge of meeting evolving customer expectations.
Read MoreJanuary 6, 2022
Customer Retention in the Telecoms Industry – How to Win and Keep Your Customers
Within the telecommunications industry, telcos face a constant battle against churn. It can be difficult to do this, as the industry is heavily saturated and competitive, with new entrants emerging regularly offering their unique products, plans and packaging.The nature of the telco industry has evolved as well. Offering extensive mobile and broadband services is no longer enough to remain competitive. International fintech giants are drawing customers in the telco industry to their services like moths to a lamp. With ARPU and churn becoming increasing concerns for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), the two key questions on all telcos’ minds are: How can they increase their ARPU while reducing churn? In other words, how can they win - and keep - customers for the long term?
Read MoreDecember 29, 2021
Africa’s Fintech Unicorns | Who Are They & What Do Telcos Need to Know?
It can be difficult to keep track of the rapid pace of change happening in tech and services across the African continent. The widespread adoption of feature smartphones coupled with the rising demand for access to mobile banking, mobile money lending and spending have turned Africa into a global mobile money wallet hub.A report from GSMA states that out of the 1.2 billion registered mobile money accounts around the world, 560 million are registered in Africa alone.
Read MoreDecember 13, 2021
Mobile IDs: Why MNOs Are The Key to Securing Digital Identities
Mobile connectivity is driving change and digital transformation across all industries. On top of powering now indispensable digital services like mobile banking, shopping, online transactions and travel services, mobile connectivity also has the ability to extend financial services to unbanked individuals in developing or more rural communities. However, the challenge doesn’t simply end with access to a smartphone. Being able to perform these tasks remotely from a mobile device necessitates the need for a means of swiftly and simply verifying people’s identity to prevent fraud from happening.
Read MoreGet in Touch with Us for a Free Gap Analysis
Contact