The biggest topic in the mobile industry over the last few years has been 5G. In an industry that has been starved for innovation in this interregnum between the launch of the iPhone and the full-scale integration of next-generation technologies like augmented reality, artificial intelligence and blockchain, the introduction of the 5G network has become a sort of catch-all for carriers and handset manufacturers to lean on as the promise of the future of innovation being just around the corner — a feature worth paying a premium for and upgrading that smartphone you bought just a year or two ago.
When 5G does finally enter the developing world, it will be most useful in servicing what will probably remain a limited infrastructure. Perhaps the most important thing? The future of payments.
Just look at the impact of something like M-Pesa in Kenya. Launched in 2007, M-Pesa is a robust and diverse mobile money transfer service that allows users to pay for a variety of services through technology that is compatible with feature phones. M-Pesa is so ubiquitous that 96% of Kenyan households have at least one M-Pesa user. The technology has also helped many Kenyans living in extreme poverty move above the poverty line, with rural households increasing their incomes by as much as 30%.
Read More Here
Recent Comments