This post was written by Christine Eibs Singer, Director of Global Advocacy for Power for All and M. Yasmina McCarty, the Head of Mobile for Development at the GSMA.
There are more than 1.2 billion people living without access to energy, meaning they have to rely on unsafe resources such as kerosene lanterns or limit their activities to daylight hours. Yet over half of these energy excluded individuals, or 772 million people, have mobile coverage, which has opened up a world of innovation for mobile technology to accelerate energy inclusion. Today, approximately 650,000 mobile-enabled pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar home systems have been sold worldwide, with over 30 companies operating in at least 32 countries. This means these households around the world are enjoying power in their homes, which is affordable, clean and sustainable.
The GSMA is committed to use the availability of mobile phone technology, and the reach of mobile network operators, to help achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals for universal access to affordable, reliable and safe energy. And today, we join the Power for All initiative, in support of the aim of universal energy access.
Representing nearly 100 companies and civil society organisations that provide a wide range of renewable energy solutions, including pay-as-you-go home systems, mini-grids, and mobile solar farms, the Power for All initiative highlights that decentralised renewable solutions can deliver universal energy access. The Power for All campaign seeks to transform perception, create a supportive financial and policy context and end energy poverty, by highlighting decentralised renewables as central to cost-effective and sustainable universal energy access. Through our support to this campaign, we especially seek to overcome the misconception that the fastest way to energy inclusion is through centralised municipal power plants and hope that energy ministries, multilateral institutions and media, will seriously consider decentralised renewable solutions powered by mobile technology.
Mobile is the single technology cutting across geographies, cultures and income levels. Used innovatively and well, it can transform lives by unlocking access to energy. Knock on benefits are even wider. Importantly, mobile enabled energy provision is proving to have a significant impact on financial inclusion. GSMA’s case studies show that 13-20% of first time pay-as-you-go solar customers are also first time subscribers to mobile money and that they become the most active mobile money customers through regular energy payments.
GSMA’s M4D Utilities programme is supported by DFID and to date has funded 19 organisations in 15 countries to trial innovative business models leveraging mobile technology for decentralised energy access.