Emerging markets are leading global mobile growth. These markets contain the largest numbers of poor people. As such growth necessarily involves many at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). Innovations in technology, business models and policy are required to serve the BOP efficiently; even more crucial is deep insight into the growing demand for telecom services at the BOP.
Teleuse at the bottom of the pyramid, or Teleuse@BOP, pioneered by LIRNEasia in 2005, is a unique series of cutting edge demand-side studies on ICT use among the BOP. It was one of the first large regional studies to assess demand for ICT services among emerging Asia’s BOP in a systematic way. The studies have proved useful in making government understand the significance of telecom, especially the mobile, at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Its findings have contributed to debates universal service policies, on taxation and even on registration of phones for security purposes. The results have also been used by industry to better understand, and design products and services for, the BOP. The wide media attention received in multiple countries in multiple languages is evidence of the relevance and need for such research in the industry. LIRNEasia has built a brand name in demand-side telecom research, developing a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this area.
Teleuse@BOP1 (2005) highlighted the degree of phone sharing at the BOP, revealing potential for innovative forms of shared access.
Teleuse@BOP2 (2006) uncovered that many at the BOP were now in a position to take up ownership, especially mobile ownership, with a projected 140 million declaring intent of phone-ownership by mid-2008. Eighty three million of this was from India alone, potentially taking household phone access up to 50 percent.
Teleuse@BOP3 (2008-09) focused on if and how mobile phones are being used for non-voice, or ‘Mobile2.0’ applications. Many claim that the BOP will have their first internet experience via a mobile phone; the findings indicated that although the use of Mobile2.0 services has been poor, encouraging levels of awareness have been seen, especially in countries with higher penetration levels, indicating that as penetration grows, awareness is likely to grow.
Teleuse@BOP4 (2011) is currently underway, with quantitative fieldwork expected to be completed in June 2011, and qualitative fieldwork to commence in September 2011. The focus of this study is on the use of mobile phones for value-generation at the BOP, against the backdrop of an emerging knowledge-based economy.
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