The Mexican state-owned rural telecoms company Telecomunicaciones de México (Telecomm Telégrafos) plans to roll out mobile payment services to thousands of rural Mexican communities over the next few years, Business News Americas reports.

According to Telecomm Telégrafos estimates, there are about 4,000 rural communities in Mexico with between 1,000 and 5,000 inhabitants, and which lack access to mobile communications or banking services, Business News Americas said.

The news outlet said Telecomm Telégrafos' first priority will be to introduce mobile telephony services and, in a second phase, basic mobile banking services such as transfers and balance inquiries. Withdrawals and deposits will also be possible through the 1,600 Telecomm Telégrafos offices in rural areas that act as agents for banks, Business News Americas said.

Telecomm Telégrafos is currently carrying out a trial with 30 rural communities, which will be extended to 90 communities.

In January 2012, Telecomm Telégrafos teamed with the Mexican bank Banorte and the U.S.-based prepaid card program manager Rêv Worldwide in an initial mobile communications and mobile banking pilot in Santiago Nuyoo, an isolated community with 2,000 inhabitants in Oaxaca State. The purpose of the Santiago Nuyoo pilot is to test rural inhabitants' interest in mobile financial services and mobile payments.

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