Mobile phones vs Tele Centers

[Via The Economist] "Mobile phones reduce transaction costs, broaden trade networks and substitute for costly physical transport. They are of particular value when other means of communication (such as roads, post or fixed-line phones) are poor or non-existent."

Though we've heard about the numerous stories about mobile phones benefiting rural areas where road are poor and fixed phone non-existent .. in practice many of these areas don’t have network coverage for mobile phones either .. and in some of these places in India tele centers are the only communication link to the outside world!