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Mobile Money, Interoperability and Financial Inclusion

Author

Listed:
  • Brunnermeier, Markus
  • Limodio, Nicola
  • Spadavecchia, Lorenzo

Abstract

This paper explores the tradeoff between competition and financial inclusion given by the vertical integration between mobile network and money operators. Joining novel data on mobile money fees built through the WayBack machine, with sources on network coverage and financials, we examine the staggering across African operators and countries of platform interoperability – a policy that promotes transactions and competition across mobile money operators. Our findings show that interoperability lowers mobile money fees and reduces network coverage and mobile towers, especially in rural and poor districts. Interoperability also results in a decline in various survey metrics of financial inclusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Brunnermeier, Markus & Limodio, Nicola & Spadavecchia, Lorenzo, 2023. "Mobile Money, Interoperability and Financial Inclusion," CEPR Discussion Papers 18124, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:18124
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    2. Aurazo, Jose & Gasmi, Farid, 2024. "Digital payment systems in emerging economies: Lessons from Kenya, India, Brazil, and Peru," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Hjort, Jonas & Tian, Lin, 2025. "The economic impact of internet connectivity in developing countries," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 129143, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. José Aurazo & Carlos Cantú & Jon Frost & Anneke Kosse & Carolina Velasquez, 2024. "A revolution in digital payments: faster, user-friendlier and cheaper," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Faster digital payments: global and regional perspectives, volume 127, pages 3-15, Bank for International Settlements.
    5. Bair, Sabrine & Miquel-Florensa, Josepa & Ozyilmaz, Hakan, 2024. "Two-Sided Financial Technology Underadoption: Experimental Evidence from Jordan," TSE Working Papers 24-1582, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    6. Mohammad Hafiz Abdul Razak & Muhammad Hafiz Abd Rashid & Firdaus Abdullah & Amirul Afif Muhamat & Ahmad Zuhairi Zainuddin, 2024. "Customers on the Move: Predicting Customer Satisfaction among Mobile Banking Users in Malaysia," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 16(3), pages 589-598.
    7. Angelo D'Andrea & Patrick Hitayezu & Kangni Kpodar & Nicola Limodio & Andrea Filippo Presbitero, 2025. "Developing the Mortgage Market: Technology, Property Rights, and Banking," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 195, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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