Helsinki, Aug 27 (DPA) Nokia, the world's largest maker of handsets, is to offer a mobile financial service for mobile phone users, including those who lack a bank account.

The group Thursday said it also had plans to create a new business unit, Solutions, aimed at better combining the group's services and devices.

With the Nokia Money service, mobile phone users would be able to send money to another person using that person's mobile phone number. It could also be used to pay for goods, utility bills or tickets, the Finnish-based mobile phone maker said.

'In many countries, mobile phone ownership significantly exceeds bank account usage, suggesting that many mobile phone users have very limited or no access to basic financial services,' Nokia chief development officer Mary McDowell said in a statement.

Nokia estimated that worldwide there are over 4 billion mobile phone users and 1.6 billion bank accounts.

The service would be operated in cooperation with Obopay, but would be open for other mobile payment services.

The group said it was setting up a network of Nokia Money agents, where consumers can deposit or withdraw money from their accounts.