@Net
yeah, that seems to be the more likely scenario... vodafone must have played a hand in the m-paisa (it sounds like a parody :)
I dont think with the reports from CNN of them receiving the first train after 7 decades, frequent violence etc; they would have had time to sit down (with the Taliban 'capital ventures investment groups') and come up with their own R&D to create this thing from scratch.
w/r