Western Union Inks Mobile Money Transfer Deal with Orascom Telecom

Money transfer firm, Western Union has created an alliance with Orascom Telecom to introduce mobile remittance services in select markets. The services aim to make low-principal, high-frequency remittances more convenient to the millions of consumers who send money every day.

Orascom Telecom, which was established in 1998, operates six mobile networks with a combined total of 77 million subscribers, including Djezzy in Algeria, Mobilink in Pakistan, Mobinil in Egypt, Tunisiana in Tunisia, Banglalink in Bangladesh, and Telecel Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe. In addition, in early 2008, Orascom Telecom acquired a license in North Korea to operate mobile services.

"Orascom Telecom mobile networks are in areas with high populations of people who have limited access to financial services," said Naguib Sawiris, Orascom Telecom Chairman and CEO. "We believe this alliance, supported by our current mobile subscribers throughout the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, presents an effortless method to bring financial services to many of the worldÃ's families for the first time."

Several of the countries where Orascom Telecom operates are among the top receivers of remittances in the world. For example, according to the World Bank, Bangladesh received US$6.6 billion in remittances in 2007; Pakistan received US$6.1 billion, and Egypt received US$5.9 billion.

The Western Union mobile money transfer service is currently available from select Western Union Agent locations in the United States, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Europe to Globe Telecom and Smart Communications subscribers in the Philippines.

The mobile money transfer service connects mobile operators to Western UnionÃ's trusted global "hub" for processing cross-border remittances. Once connected to Western UnionÃ's service, mobile operators use their own "mobile wallet" software to enable person-to-person mobile money transfers over Western UnionÃ's global remittance network. The Mobile Money Transfer service enables consumers to transfer money to or from mobile wallets and is being introduced into the global network of Western Union Agent locations for cash-to-mobile and mobile-to-cash transactions.

The agreement with Orascom Telecom is part of the pilot program of Western Union and the GSM Association to facilitate the development of cross-border mobile money transfer services.

Posted to the site on 20th October 2008