Digicel Continues Pacific Rollout

Digicel Continues Pacific Rollout of Mobile Money Service with Tonga Launch

Tongans can now transfer money, top up their phones and pay utility bills using
Digicel Mobile Money

Thursday 13th January 2011 – Nuku’alofa, Tonga: Digicel has continued the Pacific rollout of the ground breaking “Digicel Mobile Money” service with a launch in Tonga today, which sees Digicel customers in the Kingdom offered a range of mobile financial capabilities including the ability to transfer money to friends and family nationwide and pay utility bills using their mobiles.

Digicel Mobile Money was first launched in Fiji in July 2010 with Tonga, through the support of the Reserve Bank, becoming the second of Digicel’s six Pacific markets to launch the innovative service. In November 2010 Digicel also launched a “Tcho Tcho Mobile” Money service in Haiti.

Digicel mobile phones in Tonga will now become electronic wallets offering a secure and convenient way to transfer money to any Digicel Mobile in Tonga, deposit or withdraw cash from their electronic wallets, buy and send Top Up and pay a range of utility bills including Tonga Power, DigiNet and DigiTV.

Customers can simply deposit or withdraw money from their mobile wallet at any of Digicel’s nationwide network of stores and at authorized Digicel Mobile Money Agents across the country and can register for the service by simply dialling *888#.

The project, regulated by the Reserve Bank of Tonga, is supported by the United Nations Development Programme’s Pacific Financial Inclusion Fund (PFIP) and the GSM Association (GSMA) with a view to promoting financial inclusion within Tonga and the Pacific Islands. Digicel Mobile Money aims to assist in addressing the needs of the 70% of Pacific Islanders who do not have access to basic financial services and will be launched in Samoa. Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Nauru in the coming months. Earlier this month Digicel’s Tcho Tcho Mobile Money service in Haiti was awarded a US$2.5 million prize by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Government Agency for International Development (USAID) for being the first to launch a mobile money service in Haiti.

Paul Stafford, CEO Digicel Tonga said; “Following the successful launch of Digicel Mobile Money in Fiji, we believe the service will have an immediate and positive impact on the lives of Tongans as has been experienced in Fiji. When you consider the number of people who do not have access to basic financial services in the Pacific, Digicel Mobile Money transforms the way our customers receive, handle and transfer money and pay bills.”

Mr Stafford added; “Our ambition is to offer this service across all our six Pacific markets and we are delighted to be able to work in partnership the Reserve Bank of Tonga and other Reserve Banks, the PFIP and the GSMA and we can look forward, together, to the positive impact of Mobile Money for communities in Tonga and the region.”

Governor of the Reserve Bank of Tonga, Joyce Mafi said; “The Reserve Bank has been working closely with Digicel to advise and encourage the development of this innovative service. The Reserve Bank supports rural outreach and is delighted to see the innovation being applied here in Tonga.”

Graham Steven ‘Esau, Finance Manager for Tonga Power says; “Tonga Power strives to ensure quality service is provided to the people of Tonga, the Mobile Money bill payment service provided by Digicel is a convenient and easy way for the people of Tonga to settle their electricity bills and Tonga Power is proud to be part of this new initiative by Digicel.”

Tillman Bruett, Technical Advisor of the PFIP said; “This is another important step forward in bringing access to safe and affordable financial services to the estimated 70% of Pacific islanders that are unbanked. The majority of low income households in the Pacific need an affordable and a safe means to store and move money. We are supporting a number of initiatives in the region and are happy to be working with Digicel in Tonga and the Pacific elsewhere to meet this need.”

Summary of Digicel Mobile Money services:
• Simple, secure mobile to mobile money transfers
• Cash lodgement and withdrawals at Digicel outlets nationwide, and through Digicel Mobile
Money Agents
• The ability to instantly buy and send Top Up
• Pay bills such as Electricity, Digicel postpaid bills, DigiTV & DigiNet
• Check balance and transaction history and manage security password

About Digicel

After nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team. Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows. Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.
Visit www.digicelgroup.com or www.digicelpacific.com for more information.

ABOUT PFIP

The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) is a Pacific-wide programme helping to provide sustainable financial services to low income households. It is funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and operates from the UNDP Pacific Centre.

ENDS

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