Migrant Remittances Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 1

The topic for the April 2005 issue of Migrant Remittances is "Improving Access to Remittances Through Technologies." Technology solutions have recently been discussed as the current frontier in remittances. Enabling remittance transfers and payments through technologies such as mobile phones holds much promise for increasing access to better and less costly services for remittance senders and receivers, including those in remote or underserviced areas.

This issue of the newsletter samples what is happening at the intersection of technologies and remittances, both on the retail side (mobile phone and card-based remittance and payments services) and on the backbone side (operational platforms for processing remittance transactions characterized by low value, high frequency, and currency trade). The articles provide information on some of the new services and discuss the opportunities and challenges inherent in them. In addition, our regular features include updates on remittance initiatives, list internet links, and share news on related events and publications.

This is the first issue of Migrant Remittances jointly sponsored by DFID, the U.K. Department for International Development, and USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development.