Key Takeaways
- One-third of adults in developing countries do not own smartphones, highlighting the need for alternative digital solutions.
- Feature phones are still the most commonly used digital device in Africa and South Asia, with many people facing barriers to smartphone usage beyond affordability.
- Voice-based mobile channels are a viable solution for getting billions of people access to the digital economy and AI-enabled products and services.
- SMS is becoming prohibitively expensive for development actors, with the median cost of sending 100 SMS messages globally being $5.33.
- Voice-enabled AI systems can respond to questions through ordinary phone calls, making it possible to bring intelligent assistance to any basic mobile device.
Introduction to Digital Divide
Smartphones are everywhere, but not for everyone. One-third of adults in developing countries do not own smartphones, yet smartphones dominate the digital for development narrative. The GSMA’s 2025 Connectivity Report cites that 3.1 billion people live within mobile broadband coverage but still don’t use it primarily due to cost, digital literacy, or lack of relevant content. This highlights the need for alternative digital solutions that can reach those who are currently excluded from the digital economy.
Feature Phone First
Feature phones may dominate global headlines, but in practice, the most commonly used digital device in Africa and South Asia is still the humble feature phone. For many, the barriers to smartphone usage go beyond affordability. A smartphone may be shared among several family members, controlled by the male head of household, or reserved for income-generating uses rather than browsing or learning. Women, rural residents, and low-literacy populations are the most affected, often excluded not because they lack curiosity or motivation but because digital tools are simply not designed for them.
The Death of SMS
I’ve been working with voice-based mobile channels for almost a decade now, and I naturally expect to hear partners tell me why they are using SMS: it’s cheaper than other methods. However, our very own Wayan Vota wrote back in 2019 that the era of SMS was dead because rural audiences and women engage more with voice-based services and are simply tired of receiving SMS messages. Despite that, for years SMS was the default tool for digital outreach. Recent reports have shown that SMS is becoming prohibitively expensive for development actors, with the median cost of sending 100 SMS messages globally being $5.33. Additionally, smallholder farmers overwhelmingly prefer voice communication to text, and they often struggle to read SMS messages due to poor eyesight.
The Importance of Voice
Voice-based mobile channels are a viable solution for getting billions of people access to the digital economy and AI-enabled products and services. At UNGA this year, Bill Gates outlined his four big dreams about AI, including anyone in a low-income country being able to access health services, agricultural advice, or education in their local language over a voice call. AI doesn’t have to mean apps or broadband. Voice-enabled AI systems can already respond to questions through ordinary phone calls, making it possible to bring intelligent assistance to any basic mobile device. In 2023, Viamo piloted Ask Viamo Anything in Zambia, a voice-based Generative AI service that lets people in low-resource settings access trusted information simply by making a phone call.
Voice Makes Business Sense
On a recent trip to Rwanda, I had the privilege of observing rural users of the MTN mobile network dialing into a three-digit shortcode, asking questions by speaking into the phone in Kinyarwanda, and within a few seconds getting an answer. The call didn’t cost them anything, and they didn’t need a smartphone. This is why MTN Rwanda, at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Kigali, became an early adopter of voice-enabled AI in local languages. They launched Ms Baza, a Generative AI assistant that speaks English, French, Kiswahili, and Kinyarwanda and will in the future offer citizens and visitors in Rwanda access to information and services through a simple phone call. No internet or smartphone required. This is exciting not only because it shows that voice AI works on simple mobile phones, but more importantly, that it is commercially viable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, voice-based mobile channels are a necessary solution for getting billions of people access to the digital economy and AI-enabled products and services. With the death of SMS and the limitations of smartphones, voice is the way forward. It’s not nostalgic, it’s necessary. As Sulakshana Gupta, Vice President for Philanthropy Partnerships at Viamo, it’s clear that voice-enabled AI systems can respond to questions through ordinary phone calls, making it possible to bring intelligent assistance to any basic mobile device. This is a game-changer for digital development, and it’s time for us to take notice.