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The m-banking Revolution Will Not Be Televised

In an earlier blog story, we asked about how mobile banking could be used to alleviate poverty. According to the FinancialExpress.com, mobile banking could benefit both sellers and buyers in the developing world. Development Economist Robert Jensen of Harvard University has discovered that, while fishermen in Kerala, India, earn 8% more from their produce, retail buyers pay 4% less. So far, producers and buyers were using mobiles only for price negotiation, cutting out middle men and saving time so crucial for perishable items. Now, without even having a bank account, buyers and sellers in the least developed countries can use mobile-linked no-frills accounts not only to enable cash deposits and withdrawals but also to transfer money from one account to another, solely by using a mobile phone.