Grameen Telecom’s Village Phone initiative in Bangladesh is a groundbreaking approach to addressing the digital divide and fostering socio-economic development in rural areas. The initiative uses micro-credit and cellular technology to facilitate communication and play a pivotal role in poverty reduction, particularly among women. The initiative aims to provide telephone access to over 65,000 people through 950 Village Phones, with a business model that allows 40,000 Village Phone operators to potentially earn $24 million per year upon completion. The impact of GrameenPhone and Grameen Telecom’s micro-credit cellular phone service on poverty reduction and the socio-economic situation of women village phone operators has been significant. The Asia Branch Poverty Reduction Project and the Canadian International Development Agency have taken an interest in investigating these impacts, highlighting the initiative’s role in empowering women, who are often at the forefront as Village Phone operators. This empowerment comes not only in the form of financial independence but also in increased social standing within their communities. However, the initiative faces challenges, particularly in the context of gender, as the concept of " universal access" is not gender-neutral. Despite these challenges, the Village Phone program is hailed as the best technical solution for rural universal access in Bangladesh, even in the face of an unsupportive regulatory environment. Grameen Telecom’s business planning and solutions for rural telecommunications are strategically designed to target unserved and underserved regions, supporting the acquisition of quality market appraisal knowledge and data through field research, linking micro-credit organizations with telecom operators, and establishing Public Call Offices (PCOs) and franchise programs. In conclusion, Grameen Telecom's Village Phone initiative in Bangladesh is a multifaceted program that addresses the digital divide, empowers women and contributes to poverty reduction and socio-economic development in rural areas.

Source: http://www.telecommons.com/villagephone