The GSMA’s Mobile for Development Utilities Program funds, since June 2013, innovative projects that are emerging in the mobile industry. The objective of this innovative fund is to support, at different stages of their development, promising and impactful projects as to scale up their deployment. Mobile linked technologies and networks progressively place themselves as effective solutions to answer emerging countries issues. GSMA’s goal is to make an opportunity out of these technologies by encouraging the creation of new innovative projects. Since its formation, GSMA’s Mobile for Development Utilities Program has helped reinforce very diverse projects: from mobile data collection, mobile payments solutions, to mobile connected services. In May 2018, Electricity of Madagascar (EDM) and its partners Sagemcom and Telma have been selected, along with 19 other project holders, as grantees to the GSMA’s 2017-2018 Innovative Fund. Their solar mini-grid project presents itself as a very efficient solution to facilitate access to energy of isolated rural villages in Madagascar. When EDM’s nomination as a grantee was made public, Veronique Perdigon General Director of the company expressed her gratitude:

“We are proud to be a grantee of the GSMA Mobile for Development Utilities Innovation Fund. Such a partnership is a strong signal that we are aiming in the right direction. EDM, with its partners Sagemcom and Telma, always has the ambition to be a leader in its field. This help will allow us to replicate and validate our mini-grid model we already implemented with success in two villages. This is the second step, and a major one, in our project to give access to reliable and clean energy to rural population in Madagascar, and I am convinced it will lead to scaling on a national level.”

For Hassanein Hiridjee CEO Axian group (Telma and EDM) , the solar mini-grid project perfectly represents Axian group’s vision.

“ Today, in our all of the group’s activities we aim for a positive and sustainable impact on the quality of life of the malagasy people. Improving the life of isolated populations comes by facilitating the access to reliable and cheap energy.”

Being an assignee, EDM will be attending, along with its partners Sagemcom and Telma, two events organized by GSMA in Kigali. On the 15th and 16th of July, the consortium partners will participate in the Grantee Workshop along with the other 19 grantees of the 2017-2018 class. Following up this workshop, the participants will attend the Africa GSMA 360 Series, an annual fair that will regroup the entire African mobile ecosystem for 3 days of lectures and networking sessions. These two events are unique opportunities for EDM and its partners to present and publicize their solar mini-grid projects. As specified by Patrick Pisal Hamida, Telma’s General Director, These two events are unique opportunities for EDM and its partners to present and publicize their solar mini-grid projects. As specified by Patrick Pisal Hamida, Telma’s General Director,

“They also are special occasions that should be seized to pick up the latest trends in the mobile industry sector ”

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