This paper begins by segmenting the world population on income levels. The authors challenge the assumption that the lower segment - the poor, the have-less, or the "bottom of the pyramid", is unattractive. They provide the following examples to prove their point:
* Grameen Telecom's Village Phone Program in the rural areas of Bangladesh;
* Citibank's Suvidha Account for all employees of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India in 1998;
* Prepaid cards in cellular phone services in the Philippines.