Mobile operator Airtel Africa has signed a group wide agreement with virtual SIM solutions firm Movirtu, providing individuals who cannot afford handsets with communications and banking capabilities.
The agreement follows Airtel’s successful launch of the service in Madagascar, and it is now setting its sights on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“Movirtu’s patented virtual SIM platform allows mobile operators to provide services to users who cannot afford to purchase a personal handset while also allowing subscribers to keep multiple numbers on same handset,” Movirtu said in a statement.
The service allows a user to temporarily activate their number on a friend’s phone or share a phone amongst a group of individuals. The virtual SIM system allows access to phone calls, text messaging and value-added services including mobile banking.
“Working with Movirtu in Madagascar proved to us that there is a strong appetite amongst people who currently do not own a mobile phone for a low-cost, secure service that keeps them connected,” said Willie Ellis, director of products and innovation at Airtel.
“Having proven the business case, we now plan to roll out Movirtu Share throughout our subsidiaries in Africa. And because Movirtu’s underlying Virtual SIM technology makes it easy for us to dynamically attach/detach numbers to different handsets, we have the option of launching additional services in the future.”
The platform is also targeted at business users, allowing them to separate their private and business calls without needing an additional device or second physical SIM card.
“The framework agreement with Airtel Africa will help some of the approximately one billion people across the globe who are still without a mobile phone to gain access to the mobile network. It’s clear that there is a significant market opportunity to convert many of these people into mobile subscribers for the first time, with their own phone number and prepaid account,” said Movirtu chief executive officer (CEO) Carsten Brinkschulte.
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