Comments on: For Uganda's poor, a cellular connection

In a country where people don't have electricity, much less Internet access, the Grameen Foundation partners with Google to relay information through mobile phones.

[monkeyfun14]

One thing I have to ask is if so many people are without electricity where in the hell are all these phones coming from?

[techman21]

and how are they charging them?

[nabs2kx]

well there is electricity in most of the country but the further you go from the urban centers the more rationing you find. pple in ug. know when and where to charge their phones infact phone charging is a business for some who have electricity.

[aMUSICsite]

"With the dire need to be connected, people go to great lengths to use cell phones, charging them with car batteries or solar chargers."

It says it in the article. Don't people read this stuff before posting?

[shmariam]

Kudos to Grameen Bank for extending the financial services to the poor to other areas. Mobile technology will equally play an important role in improving the lives of many.

[willieds93]

Got 3G?

[MFox1948]

Writing from America where rural conneciton is usually ifsy at best, there are the obvious questions other than the charging issue brought up by others.

1) What is their connectivity?
2) With cost per month a minimal $39 per line in the US. How can they afford a plan?
3) How is cell phone 'need' a priority over the other issues in that country?

[alexalive1]

Dear MFox1948,
For question number 2:
Well, I think the comparison between rural America and rural Uganda is unrealistic. From my experience in India, you could buy an entry level phone, and can have incoming facility for 15 YEARS for around for around $100. No monthly charges, nothing. If you wanna make a call, you recharge with a top up coupon starting from as low as 30cents. Calls would cost on an average Rs.1, which would be kinda £0.04. You can also buy special offer cards which would let you send , say, 300 texts for less than a dollar.

Now, for your information here is the rates from Uganda. (As offered by MTN on July 24,2009, on a standard pay as you go flat rate)

Starter pack : 3000Ugandan Shillings [ Equals 1.44 US$]
Monthly charges : 0 [zero]
Average call rate : 350 Ug sh [equals 0.17$]

To know more go to mtn.co.ug