The Communications Risk Show - Episode 5: When Telcos Become Banks

Are communications providers ready to take on the responsibility for delivering more advanced financial services over the phone? Bank failures have occurred all over the world, raising fears that communications providers could also begin to fail if they lend money but are not subject to rules about capital reserves and competent regulatory supervision. But it would also be a mistake for governments to suffocate services like mobile money that have transformed the lives of millions of Africans, Asians and Latin Americans who were previously unbanked. How much financial risk is it acceptable for communications providers to take, how should they upgrade their own competence to deal with those risks, and how does the increasing popularity of online and mobile banking change the risk profile for frauds like SIM swaps? These are some of the questions to be debated with Joseph Nderitu, a Director at Integrated Risk Services. Joseph started his telecoms career at Safaricom and has since advised many of Africa’s leading operators on the risks surrounding the delivery of mobile money services and other financial services.

Topical news items will be debated by the show’s three regular presenters, industry analyst Ed Finegold, senior risk executive Lee Scargall, and the Editor of Commsrisk, Eric Priezkalns.