There are obvious logistical reasons for the success of the cell phone in rural areas. For instance, although Patira is not far from Dhaka city, it has poor road links with the capital. During the monsoon rains the roads become unusable and villagers need boats to come to the city. Phones provide a vital link. The frequency of ruralurban migration makes telephones a boon to divided families.
Phones also facilitate business and trade.
Reducing the risk of remittance transfers from overseas workers has important microimplications for rural households and villages. At the micro level, remittances tend to be used for daily household expenses such as food, clothing and health care. Once subsistence needs are met, remittances tend to be used for 'productive investments,' or for savings. Morsheda Begum, a poor housewife of Isapur village near Dhaka, owns a Grameen pay phone. The phone is a boon to Isapur, providing its only telecom link to the world.