My skeptical question is, "Wouldn't the (I assume cell phone based) digital payments platform have happened, anyways?" The telecom companies in the Philippines

My skeptical question is, "Wouldn't the (I assume cell phone based) digital payments platform have happened, anyways?" The telecom companies in the Philippines (as one example) had phone-based digital payments in 2007 or so. It was just a matter of time and critical mass of cell phone ownership, until such payments happened.