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ForgetMeNot Africa News
Republic of the Congo’s access to internet messaging services nearly doubles · 26 Nov 2010
A new service is bringing email and online chat to people in even the most rural parts of the Central African state of Republic of the Congo via SMS-enabled mobile phones - nearly doubling the population's access to internet messaging.
Struggle to access vital information
Congo's highly literate population - UNICEF figures show adult literacy was at 87 per cent in 2008 - struggles to access vital information such as healthcare, travel and educational resources. One reason is that only 6.6 per cent of its 3.68 million population use the Internet, according to the latest figures from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2009.
Transforming mobile phone handsets into virtual smartphones
Now Warid Congo, the country's third largest mobile phone network, is transforming its 450,000 mobile phone subscribers' handsets into virtual smartphones. It's customers can now send and receive mobile email and online chat messages on any SMS-enabled handset. Expanding the country's access to internet messaging via entry level, low-end mobile phones will naturally improve access to information, communications with friends and family, and trade.
Michael Elame, CEO of Warid Congo, said:"Deploying ForgetMeNot Africa software is a clear sign that Warid Congo intends to be the most innovative mobile phone network in Congo. Warid messenger opens up a world of internet messaging to the highly literate Congolese people. They can now send and receive emails and have chat conversations with friends and family from all over the world anytime they like, be it from their armchair, while in the park with their friends or even while doing their shopping. This is a unique innovative offering for for the Congolese consumers."
