New payphone helps connect Africa

Johannesburg, 17 Nov 2004

In response to high demand across Africa for community payphones, Tellumat Mobile has launched a fixed-mobile solution that can be taken into the most remote areas of the continent.

"The M850 GSM community telephone is a quick to set up mobile office that enables the retailing of telephone calls and electronic vouchers based on a franchise business model," says Lloyd Marshall, GM of Tellumat.

"We have made three improvements to this version, with the most notable one being the fact that we have built in a second network alternative, so this phone can now support two cellular operators, which is ideal in countries where there are high interconnect costs."

Marshall says the other improvements include an extended vending platform, which offers services like the sale of virtual airtime, and the addition of a messaging option, "because Africa is starved for information services".

"I believe these two improvements are vitally important, particularly as I feel the demand for vending services is increasing, and the possibility exists of extending these services to things like prepaid electricity or buying tickets for a soccer match."

He says Tellumat exports 90% of its devices into Africa, as the company has distributors "pretty much wherever a GSM network has been set up", with countries like Ghana, Gabon and Botswana being strong markets for the company.

"We have seen immense demand for our payphones and a massive uptake wherever they are distributed, although the real key is in finding the correct distributors, as there are many opportunists out there, so it is necessary to find a local partner who understands the market and has the right technological know-how."

Marshall claims that the M850 solution can operate both in a tele-centre environment, where up to 10 units are controlled by a single operator using a controller device, or in a standalone environment where the operator operates one or two phones without using a controller device.

"A device like this is designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions including high usage and dust, and is ideal for filling the gap in remote areas where people cannot afford to own their own phones," says Marshall.

"In the last year we have sold over 50 000 payphones across the continent, and anticipate even greater demand in the coming year. This is good for Africa, as telecoms is essential for the growth of the African economy - after all, business can only flourish if there is communication."