Publication: 2012 Information and Communications for Development : Maximizing Mobile
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Date
2012-08-15
ISSN
Published
2012-08-15
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
With some 6 billion mobile subscriptions
in use worldwide, around three-quarters of the world's
inhabitants now have access to a mobile phone. Mobiles are
arguably the most ubiquitous modern technology: in some
developing countries, more people have access to a mobile
phone than to a bank account, electricity, or even clean
water. Mobile communications now offer major opportunities
to advance human development from providing basic access to
education or health information to making cash payments to
stimulating citizen involvement in democratic processes. The
developing world is 'more mobile' than the
developed world. In the developed world, mobile
communications have added value to legacy communication
systems and have supplemented and expanded existing
information flows. However, the developing world is
following a different, 'mobile first' development
trajectory. Many mobile innovations such as multi-SIM card
phones, low-value recharges, and mobile payments have
originated in poorer countries and are spreading from there.
New mobile applications that are designed locally and rooted
in the realities of the developing world will be much better
suited to addressing development challenges than
applications transplanted from elsewhere. In particular,
locally developed applications can address
developing-country concerns such as digital literacy and
affordability. This 2012 edition of the World Bank's
information and communications for development report
analyzes the growth and evolution of mobile telephony, and
the rise of data-based services delivered to handheld
devices, including apps. The report explores the
consequences for development of the emerging 'app
economy.' It summarizes current thinking and seeks to
inform the debate on the use of mobile phones for
development. This report looks at key ecosystem-based
applications in agriculture, health, financial services,
employment, and government, with chapters devoted to each.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2012. 2012 Information and Communications for Development : Maximizing Mobile. © Washington, DC: World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11958 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”