Teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid : Findings from a Five Country Study

This paper looks at telecom use at the bottom of the pyramid, or BOP in emerging Asia, where much of the ‘next billion' subscribers are expected to come from. It explores the potential for new customers, and issues of affordability at the BOP. The findings reveal potential for more than 140 new connections at the BOP in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Thailand alone, with almost two thirds being mobile; this will have large implications for the uptake of emerging mobile applications. It also looks at the ‘gendered' use of telecom at the BOP, revealing a gender divide in India, Pakistan and to a small extent in Sri Lanka too. The policy implications of the findings are briefly examined