M-pesa was a success in Kenya and it is a case study all over the world. Now Kenya has now witnessed a bank (Equity Bank) who wants to enter into telecommunications industry. Equity Bank has started giving out free ordinary SIM cards to its 8.7 million customers and even non-customers to commence mobile telecom operations. This is notwithstanding the lawsuit filed against the launch of its thin-SIM technology. The Communications Authority of Kenya had authorised Equity to roll out the thin SIM technology which involves using ultra-thin SIM cards that are embedded on ordinary SIMs. So it is only rolling out ordinary SIM cards for now.
Equity Bank got the mobile license from the telecoms regulator, Communications Authority of Kenya, to roll out a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service through its subsidiary, Finserve. The MVNO service rides on the Airtel network infrastructure.
The brand name for the SIM card is Equitel and these cards are enabled for voice services and mobile banking operating using the prefix 0763.
With the Equitel SIM cards, a customer would be able to do almost everything he or she can do with a regular Telco mobile SIM such as access bank accounts via mobile handsets, transfer money to customers on other mobile banking platforms such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Orange Money.
Customers also have the option to port their current mobile numbers.
