Mobile Usage at the Base of the Pyramid in Kenya
With the cost of mobile phones decreasing steadily, what was once considered a luxury good is now more commonly considered a necessity by many Kenyans, including those at the economic base of the pyramid (BoP). iHub research and research solutions...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/12/18806923/mobile-usage-base-pyramid-kenya http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17628 |
| Summary: | With the cost of mobile phones
decreasing steadily, what was once considered a luxury good
is now more commonly considered a necessity by many Kenyans,
including those at the economic base of the pyramid (BoP).
iHub research and research solutions Africa conducted a
6-month study in order to increase the understanding of
actual usage of mobile services, products, and applications
at the BoP and to understand their potential for economic
and social empowerment. The study covered urban and rural
areas of 6 districts in Kenya. Its findings are not
nationally representative, but comparisons with
representative surveys show no significant differences for
key indicators, such as phone possession. The added value of
the study at hand lies in the qualitative insights on
choices, lifestyles, habits and mobile phone usage patterns
used among phone owners at the BoP, as well as its focus on
add-on services ranging from phone applications to various
Internet tools. The overall objective of the study was to
provide a thorough and fact-based understanding of the
current and potential future demand and usage patterns of
the mobile devices by the BoP in Kenya. |
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