May 18, 2008

Sente. Sente is a novel use for mobile phones; the informal practice of sending money via mobile phone minutes has evolved to allow money (albeit, small amounts) to be transferred from one place to another. Apparently first noted in Uganda, it is mentioned in passing here, as an intriguing example of how powerful networked communications can be, when suitably portable and accessible.
posted by polychrome 15 years ago
  • That's fascinating stuff. I'd seen the equivalent of the phone kiosk mentioned in the article in some particularly remote areas but had not heard of the talktime method of cash transfer. Genius.
  • I thought it was cool - the REAL eye opener for me though was the penetration rates they are talking about for mobile phones. That's probably close to double what I would have estimated off the top of my head.