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Opinion: India must break out of its internet connectivity conundrum
India has among the world’s lowest data communications tariffs... But in India, the world’s lowest data tariffs are not resulting in the world’s most connected society. However low data tariffs are going in India, because of the vast numbers of people living at the “bottom of the pyramid” in extreme poverty, India doesn’t seem to be able to catch up with other Asian countries when it comes to progress in democratization of the internet.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Simpa Networks launches PAYG Solar Television in India
Simpa Networks, a company providing affordable solar power to households and businesses in rural India, today announced the launch of Magic TV, which the company calls the "country’s first solar-powered Pay-as-you-Go (PAYG) satellite TV solution."
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- solar
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Digital payments is India’s new currency
Digital transactions have trebled and quadrupled in volume and value across various modes from wallets to cards and interbank transfers from a year earlier. Card transactions at point of sale (PoS) terminals at merchant locations have surged, reflecting a positive for the economy as more people start using their de bit cards for payments rather than for withdrawing cash at ATMs.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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UN Study: Digitization of Kenyan Farmer Payments Helps Tackle Poverty
One Acre Fund, supported by Citi, enabled farmers to easily make loan repayments via mobile money instead of cash, reducing the uncertainty, inefficiency, insecurity and high costs previously caused by cash transactions.
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- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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World Bank report highlights role of Agent Banking in Malaysia’s successful financial inclusion push
Malaysia has achieved one of the highest levels of financial inclusion among middle-income countries. According to data from the central bank, 92% of the adult population in Malaysia had a bank account in 2015, the second highest rate in ASEAN after Singapore.
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- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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How Digitizing Agricultural Input Payments in Rural Kenya is Tackling Poverty: The Case of One Acre Fund
Since 2014, OAF has enabled farmers in Kenya to make loan repayments digitally using the mobile money service M-Pesa instead of in cash, increasing economic opportunity and financial inclusion in some of the world’s poorest farming communities.
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- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Viewpoint: Think Twice About Going Cashless
Even now, after the chaos caused by India's decision last November to eliminate nearly 90 percent of its banknotes, few people would argue with the policy's underlying assumption: Going cashless is, if handled well, a good thing. Yet the fact is, most arguments in favor of demonetization don't stand up to scrutiny. And those that do should raise other concerns.
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- Technology
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State Bank of Pakistan approves launch of the country’s first free mobile wallet service
Mobile payment app SimSim became Pakistan’s first free mobile wallet service after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) approved the official launch of the service – a move the company said would boost financial inclusion in the country.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia