2012 Information and Communications for Development : Maximizing Mobile

World Bank

Washington, DC:World Bank

关键词: ACCESS TO INFORMATION;    ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE;    ALTERNATIVE POLICIES;    BROADCASTING;    COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/978-0-8213-8991-1
RP-ID  :  72236

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

With some 6 billion mobile subscriptionsin use worldwide, around three-quarters of the world'sinhabitants now have access to a mobile phone. Mobiles arearguably the most ubiquitous modern technology: in somedeveloping countries, more people have access to a mobilephone than to a bank account, electricity, or even cleanwater. Mobile communications now offer major opportunitiesto advance human development from providing basic access toeducation or health information to making cash payments tostimulating citizen involvement in democratic processes. Thedeveloping world is 'more mobile' than thedeveloped world. In the developed world, mobilecommunications have added value to legacy communicationsystems and have supplemented and expanded existinginformation flows. However, the developing world isfollowing a different, 'mobile first' developmenttrajectory. Many mobile innovations such as multi-SIM cardphones, low-value recharges, and mobile payments haveoriginated in poorer countries and are spreading from there.New mobile applications that are designed locally and rootedin the realities of the developing world will be much bettersuited to addressing development challenges thanapplications transplanted from elsewhere. In particular,locally developed applications can addressdeveloping-country concerns such as digital literacy andaffordability. This 2012 edition of the World Bank'sinformation and communications for development reportanalyzes the growth and evolution of mobile telephony, andthe rise of data-based services delivered to handhelddevices, including apps. The report explores theconsequences for development of the emerging 'appeconomy.' It summarizes current thinking and seeks toinform the debate on the use of mobile phones fordevelopment. This report looks at key ecosystem-basedapplications in agriculture, health, financial services,employment, and government, with chapters devoted to each.