The Impact Investing Case for Telecom Companies


credit: Flickr

"We are so used to being almost permanently online that we don't really appreciate what we have and do not really know what to do when we're not," Joni Mitchell wrote in her 1970s song "Big Yellow Taxi."

Well, telecom companies "provided the services and products that we have gotten to regard as a basic need: connection," writesjoerd Rozing in an article for the Guardian.

And it's telecom companies that provide that basic service.

In fact, Rozing writes, telecom companies "primarily contribute to the societal transition by facilitating access to key products, services, and markets that broaden opportunities for marginalised groups and individuals to participate in cultural, political, and social spaces."

Examples include providing access to broadband Internet, mobile phones, TV, and so on, as well as "material improvement in their personal financial situation, which enhances their possibilities to participate, when people upgrade from a 3G phone to a very affordable 4G smartphone, as research from Safaricom shows."

In fact, telecom companies "represent one of the least diverse sectors to work in" in emerging markets, but in developed markets, "they are therefore more stable and predictable, as they generate most of their revenues from subscriptions."

They also tend to offer an attractive dividend Read the Entire Article


Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

From Barnard Student to App Entrepreneur

She named her app Skolay, which means "purposeful leisure," and she knew writers who were struggling to make a living. So Samantha Greenspan, a 21-year-old from New York City's Barnard College,...more

1 Dead After Falling from Stands During Ohio State Graduation Ceremony

"Tragically, an individual fell from the stands and is deceased," Ohio State University says in a statement to People. The university says it has no additional details at this time. The...more

1 Dead After Falling from Stands During Ohio State Graduation Ceremony

One person died after falling from the stands during an Ohio State University graduation ceremony Thursday afternoon, People reports. "Tragically, an individual fell from the stands and is...more

Want to Know the Secret to Closing More Sales? Try This

"We've all seen or worked with a 'unicorn' employee at some point," writes Matthew Yglesias at Entrepreneur. "What makes them a unicorn? Their individual brand." Yglesias is referring to the...more

Person Dies after Falling from the Stands at Ohio State University Commencement ...

A person fell to his or her death from the stands during Ohio State University's commencement ceremony Monday afternoon, NBC News reports. The person has not been identified, and the school has...more

Ohio State Commencement Speaker Revealed on Linkedin He Took Hallucinogen to Write Speech

"Got some help from AI (Ayahuasca Intelligence) this week to write my commencement speech for 60,000 grads and family members at Ohio State University next Sunday," Chris Pan wrote on...more

Provost Impact Award Supports More Contextualized, Inclusive Education in Social Entrepreneurship

"In the creative economy, arts administration research and teaching are heavily practice-focused and deeply contextualized," Rachel Shane says. "However, generalized entrepreneurship education...more

Okey Anueyiagu… a Peep into the Life of a Philanthropist, Writer and Entrepreneur

The son of one of Nigeria's most revered nationalists, Chukwuma Anueyiagu, says his father's death in 2014 left him little time to reflect on his own lifebut he's determined to see his father's...more

Fire Breaks out in Sundarbans

The world's largest mangrove forest is on the verge of becoming a ghost forest. Fires are raging in Bangladesh's Sundarbans forest, which is also home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, and firefighters...more

Anitha Rao: Busting Taboos One Period at a Time

"When I belong to an educated family and nobody told me about menstrual hygiene, how would those living in rural areas and slums know," Anitha Rao says. That's why the 40-year-old social...more






Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight



Finding a Place in Mainstream Social Enterprise


Nell Derick Debevoise, Founder and CEO of Inspiring Capita, shares what she thinks are the three main ingredients in finding your place in social enterprise.




Not for Profit Jobs in Nebraska

  Executive Director Jobs
  Substance Abuse Jobs
  Program Director Jobs
  Executive Director Jobs
  Social Services Jobs