Banking the poor through mobile telephony : understanding the challenges for expansion of mobile-based financial services in Guatemala

Spanish version available in IDRC Digital Library: Bancarización de los pobres a través de la telefonía móvil : comprendiendo los desafíos de la expansión de los servicios financieros con tecnología móvil en GuatemalaThis detailed report evaluates the effectiveness of the mobile financial services (MFS) ecosystem in Guatemala as a platform for the deployment of such services, identifying bottlenecks for its penetration among the poorest populations. Key dimensions for explaining profitability and levels of investment are analyzed within three areas of the MFS ecosystem: the institutional environment; the market environment; and the end-user environment. Mobile telephony operators must better resolve their business model, and the banking system must determine how to make MFS attractive to more users, not just those at the top levels of the pyramid