Comviva, a Bharti group owned mobile value added services company, has landed a deal to deploy its virtual SIM product with MTN Ghana. A Virtual SIM allows an individual to use mobile services via a shared handset. It's effectively like a virtuap phone account with a unique identity and a phone number, that can be used for sending and receiving messages, making remittances, using someone elses handset. Consumers use virtual SIMs with phones shared with friends, family, or even payphones and community phones. This effectively reduces the ownership of a handset as a barrier to entry. This is Comviva's second such deployment with MTN. Previously, they had deployed the service with MTN Cameroon. According to MTN's financial results for the six months ended June 30th 2010, MTN Ghana has 8.72 million subscribers with 56% marketshare, an ARPU of $7, and 757 mobile money subscribers. MTN Cameroon has 4.49 million subscribers with 61% marketshare and an APRU of $8. Download MTN's half-year results presentation here. Related: - Comviva Appoints Max Pedro To Head Latin American & Carribean Ops; Opens Miami Office - Comviva Inks Worldwide Etisalat Mobile VAS Deal - MChek Is Western Union Money Transfer Certified; Comviva Joins - MWC 2010: Comviva Launches Online Gaming Solution For Mobile
