information and communication technology encouraging social and economic development

new insights
The social and economic development of the territories in which we operate is one of the major priorities for Group Corporate Social Responsibility. Access by populations at the base of the pyramid* to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the services they enable in terms of education, health, agriculture and finance is at the heart of this issue, requiring new economic models.  

Orange has taken the initiative of creating an international consortium to finance a study into ICT access for those at the base of the pyramid.
This study, published September 14, and jointly financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), Ericsson, ICCO (the interchurch organization for development cooperation), and Dutch consulting firm TNO,
was carried out by the Hystra consulting firm with support from the Ashoka non-profit organization. It has provided new insights into original economic models. Their positive impact on the societal and economic development of the most disadvantaged populations is clearly highlighted.

The study methodology consists quite simply of identifying “what works” in the field, in most cases using an empirical trial-and-error procedure, to meet the needs of those at the base of the pyramid. More than 280 initiatives were reviewed in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Set up by various partners (corporations, citizen sector organizations, social entrepreneurs, etc.), all these projects use ICT to provide services to those at the base of the pyramid in 4 main areas: education, health, agriculture and rural development, and financial services.

Hystra, the consulting firm specializing in the analysis of hybrid (social and business) strategies, led the study backed by its partner Ashoka that has supported more than 3,000 social entrepreneurs across the world since 1981. Projects were evaluated based on their ability to solve a specific problem, their financial sustainability and their potential for scalability and replication from one country to the next. This ensures they can grow and last beyond an experimental or pilot phase, a hurdle which many development projects sadly fail to overcome.

15 of the most groundbreaking business models studied, with proven results on the ground, show that ICT can be a lever for improving the living standards of the poorest populations. They were analyzed in depth to support the main conclusions of the report:

Financial sustainability varies across sectors, finance services and rural development being the most sound  
Involvement of local players and crowdsourcing are 2 promising, effective business models
Entrepreneurship in the field is key to launching successful new services, while strong cross-partner and cross-sector work is essential to building local ecosystems and achieving scalability.


*Base of the pyramid or Bottom of the pyramid (BoP): This refers to the billions of people who live with less than a few dollars per day, in particular in developing and emerging countries, as defined in CK Prahalad’s “The Fortune at the Base of the Pyramid.”



find out more
download the short version of the study (1.74 MB)
download the complete version of the study (12.93 MB)

Hystra website
corporate responsibility according to Orange
Orange African Social Venture Prize