COMBINATIONAL MODELS OF BANK AND MOBILE NETWORK OPERATOR PARTNERSHIPS IN THE DIGITAL PAYMENT SYSTEM: THEORY AND UZBEKISTAN PRACTICE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60078/3060-4842-2026-vol3-iss3-pp556-562Abstract
This article provides a theoretical and practical analysis of the main combinational models of partnerships between banks and mobile network operators (MNOs) in the digital payment system. The MNO-led, bank-led, joint venture, and platform ecosystem models are examined in detail. Using Uzbekistan as a case study, the article highlights the collaboration experience of mobile operators Beeline, Ucell, Uzmobile, and Mobiuz with fintech platforms such as Uzum Bank, Payme, and Click. The study concludes with recommendations for improving the effectiveness of bank-MNO partnerships and expanding digital financial inclusion in the country
Keywords:
MNO-bank partnership digital payment systems mobile network operator combinational model financial inclusion fintech digital economy UzbekistanReferences
Circles.co (2025). Beyond Banking: The Emergence of Banks and Fintech as Telecommunications Providers. https://circles.co/in-the-loop/why-digital-bank-fintech-becoming-mvno-telecommunication-provider.
Demirguc-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., Ansar, S., & Hess, J. (2018). The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution. World Bank Group.
Farmon (2020) O'zbekiston Respublikasi Prezidentining 2020-yil 5-oktabrdagi PF-6079-son farmoni. Raqamli O'zbekiston-2030 strategiyasini tasdiqlash to'g'risida.
GSMA (2014). State of the Industry: Mobile Financial Services for the Unbanked. London: GSMA.
GSMA (2015). State of the Industry Report Mobile Money 2015. London: GSMA.
KPMG Valuation and Consulting LLC (2024). B2C Payments, POS Financing and BNPL in Uzbekistan. https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/uz/pdf/2024/Fintech-UZ_Payments_POS-Financing_BNPL-final.pdf.
Ky, S., Rugemintwari, C., & Sauviat, A. (2024). Is Fintech Good for Bank Performance? The Case of Mobile Money in the East African Community. International Journal of Finance & Economics. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijfe.3100.
Lal, R., & Sachdev, I. (2015). Mobile Money Services: Design and Development for Financial Inclusion. Harvard Business School Working Paper 15-083.
Mas, I., & Radcliffe, D. (2011). Mobile Payments Go Viral: M-PESA in Kenya. In: Moving Money: International Remittance and Access to Finance.
McKinsey & Company (2018). Mobile money in emerging markets: The business case for financial inclusion. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/mobile-money-in-emerging-markets-the-business-case-for-financial-inclusion.
Mordor Intelligence (2025). Uzbekistan Telecom MNO Market Size, Share, 2025-2030. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/uzbekistan-telecom-mno-market.
Opensignal (2025). Uzbekistan: Regional position & Operator experience. https://insights.opensignal.com.
Suri, T., & Jack, W. (2016). The long-run poverty and gender impacts of mobile money. Science, 354(6317), 1288-1292.
Uzum Press Center (2026). Uzum secures $130M strategic investment. https://fintech.global/2026/03/10/uzbekistan-fintech-uzum-lands-130m-strategic-investment.
WosJournals (2025). The Rise of Digital Finance in Uzbekistan: A Comparative Analysis of Uzum, Payme, and Click. https://www.wosjournals.com/index.php/shokh/article/view/6471.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.





