With all the hype around Google Wallet, many people think mobile money will be driven by the U.S. But the biggest growth – and the greatest amount of innovation – is coming from the developing world, in places like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

Over half of the world’s population lives without reliable banking institutions, relying instead on cash stuffed under the mattress and the use of informal couriers. In India alone there is an opportunity to add at least 300 million people to the banking system.Read more

Once again, politics torpedoed two emerging markets’ telecom behemoths from walking down the aisle. The proposed $24 billion deal between India’s largest mobile player Bharti Airtel and South Africa’s flagship MTN was called off on September 30.
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Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecom company, and South Africa’s MTN Group have resumed talks of a possible merger. A deal would create a telecom juggernaut with annual revenues of $20 billion and over 200 million subscribers across India, the Middle East and Africa. The user numbers alone would make the merged entity the third largest telecom player in the world after China Mobile and Vodafone, ahead of AT&T and many large European telcos.Read more