Mobile network operators (MNOs) in every country offer innovative technologies and communication channels for international development practitioners. However, humanitarian organizations’ ability to respond to rapidly evolving events is often hampered by the challenges of setting up these systems.
When the vast array of development organizations reach out individually to the various MNOs operating in each market, the large number of requests can overwhelm MNOs, and require months of negotiations to gain access to their networks. In addition, there is no opportunity for collective bargaining to secure better value and service provision for humanitarian organizations.
The Mobile Aggregator Opportunity with MNOs
Engaging with mobile aggregators presents an alternative to working with MNOs individually and reduces the complexity, cost and duration of implementation. Aggregators can offer pre-negotiated commercial and technical arrangements with multiple MNOs, allowing aid organizations to deliver services over a variety of mobile channels.
For example, aggregators can provide easy, cloud-based services to help development practitioners obtain mobile phone short codes and provide nationwide mobile services in a few hours. This is in stark contrast to the weeks and even months that negotiations with individual mobile operators currently can take.
The DIAL Guide To Using Mobile Aggregators To Deliver NGO Services At National Scale explores the role of aggregators and introduces a mapping of mobile aggregators with a significant presence in the developing world.
5 Key Advantages of Using Mobile Aggregators
Less contracting
Working with an aggregator negates the need for NGOs to learn and adapt to the different methodologies and processes each MNO requires for its contract negotiations.
Less technical integration
The same applies for technical integration. Each MNO has its own idiosyncratic implementation process requiring an NGO’s technical team or partner to integrate multiple times, presenting potential points of failure for the project.
Single point of contact for support
Even if an NGO were able to overcome the various integration and contractual challenges, it would still need to troubleshoot and address technical and other support issues across multiple MNOs. Aggregators present a much simpler, single point of contact for NGOs.
Potentially more amenable to negotiation
NGOs who previously worked with many MNOs may find advantageous pricing as they consolidate their business to work with one aggregator. Conversely, aggregators may charge a slightly higher price for their services so volume savings would have to offset this new expense.
Value-added services
In emerging markets, MNOs are typically set up to acquire and service end users, not organizations such as NGOs. Many aggregators, on the other hand, distinguish themselves by offering value-added services (e.g., subscription/content management, customer data collection, reporting) that can augment mobile channels.
Integration with other third parties
Some aggregators offer integration with other valuable third-party content, services and organizations. The most prevalent example is a mobile payments aggregator like Cellulant or Beyonic, which specializes in integrating both with mobile operators and financial institutions, as well as the myriad of different platforms on which each operate.
4 Types of Mobile Aggregators
Aggregators are typically differentiated by their services or business approaches. Below are descriptions of four different types of aggregators, distinguished by what they aggregate, how they aggregate, the service they aggregate, and whom they target.
Content aggregators
Aggregators in this category build mobile services that run across multiple MNOs. They are referred to as VAS (value-added services) or content aggregators and are by far the most common type. Examples of the services they provide include local news, sports, betting and lifestyle content.
API platform providers
Increasingly, mobile aggregators are moving developing a bespoke service to technical platforms with tools that allow clients to design and deploy their own services. This category of aggregator is best typified by global players such as Twilio and Nexmo, whose platforms are driven by programming tools known as APIs (application programming interfaces).
Mobile money providers
Given the dramatic uptake of mobile financial services in emerging markets and the size of remittances among countries, a significant proportion of aggregators in these markets focus on mobile money rather than core mobile services. Mobile money aggregators, such as Cellulant and Beyonic, also distinguish themselves by developing platforms that allow multiple MNOs and financial institutions to work with one another, so organizations and individuals can make transactions across countries and institutions.
NGO aggregators
These aggregators have built platforms on top of their mobile integrations to automate specific services and use cases that target the international development sector. For example, EngageSpark offers a non-technical platform for NGO customers that helps them deal with integration and service design.
Thanks for a great article Wayan! Many aren’t aware of this side of the mobile industry.
Thanks for sharing this approach to MNO services. We are going to try working with VAS here in Myanmar. Working directly with operations is very frustrating.
My need for digital global identity in Bangladesh
” The Mobile Aggregator Opportunity with MNOs technical arrangements with multiple MNOs, allowing aid organizations to deliver services over a variety of mobile channels.” is greatly needed in our collaborative “STOP TUBERCULOSIS NOW” project with the goal to help achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to mitigate lingering Poverty and Diseases in the Developing World. This indeed,applies directly to our project. Below please find Email I sent out today to ICTworks Project Manager:
As former Global Health Physician Consultant for American Military Medical Command which subserved
Europe; the Middle-East and Africa from its headquarters in Heideberg; Germany I am glad to inform you that
I serve now as United Nations goodwill Ambassador for Sustained Access to Quality Medical Care in Developing African nations,
For this; I launch impact programs for breakthrough to “End Tuberculosis and End Malaria Now”
These models are eHealth driven and Mobile Phone Community Outreach Campaign centered:
Starter – intervention project will take-off first in Nigeria and then be replicated throug-out West Africa:
In-order to achieve positive outcome targeted in United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for acceptable Healthcare, ICTworks evidenced-based ” Teach & Train ” citizens in appropriate use of MOBIL PHONE in Preventive Medicine Health Campaigns is hereby solicited.
Players are German Help Point, German Association against Tuberculosis and Leprosy, (DAHW) , European Development Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and World Health Organization and in -counrty project nations such as Nigerian; Ghana, Liberia, Burkina Faso governments.´for example.
1.Your expeditious response concerning process and procedures for engaing your expertise in this regard will be greatly appreciated.
2. Furthermore, the step by step initation plan to install ” The DIAL Guide Using Mobile Aggregators To Deliver NGO Services At National Scale ” is required ! In our case, this means -Launching flexible access to Mobile phone communication network, which dish out -Symptoms, Diagnosis linked questions which patients or presumptive patients answers in an interactive manner:
The questions are rallyed to his or her Mobile phone. Some messages will be accompanied with simple graphics in an Intercative format between a Doctor and Patients.
QUESTIONS EXAMPLE;
1. Do you Cough contiously even after taking Cough Elixir ?
2. Do friends or family members tell you that you are loosing weight and looking ill?
3. Do you really feel ill and always feel tired and has no appetite ?
4. Do you find yourself Sweating at night even though fresh air is blowing through your window ?
5. Does anybody also Cough in your enviroment, home or at work ?
6. Have you seen a Doctor concerning this ?
7. Did the Doctor ask you to bring in your “Sputum taken when you wake up in the morning to do some test ?
8. Did the Doctor give you any medicines or examine your Chest and ask you to go do an Xray and Blood Test ?
Such a preview o Tuberculosis diagnostic related questions will be sent to citizens in what we code-name, “Tuberculosis Citizens Outreach Preventive Medicine Campaign using Mobile Phone” Both English and local languages in Nigeria will be used.
3. Finaly since this project targets reduction of disease and poverty, it qualifies for DFI British government funding developing countries. I will apprecaite such funding can assesed to support ICTworks linked program.
*135 Million citizens are currently registered Mobile Phone users in Nigeria , Such Digital tool is the most cost-contained, most versatile positive-outcome approach to reach the hitherto Unreached Patients particularly in Rural Settings where about 75% of citizens reside in the developing world.
Thank you immensely for your response.
Edwin Scott Asemota, MD,DTMPh, FEC
Professor; Global Health; Tropical Medicine and Aeronautical Medicine
Project Director, German Help Point