Title: Assesment of Mobile Web for Social Development Roadmap
Author: Katrin Verclas
Source: MobileActive.org
Date (published): 16/11/2009
Date (accessed): 30/11/2009
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
The document is long and dense at times, but highlights a few noteworthy trends and developments. As with any product developed by committee (and a small committee, in this case - no more than four or five people during the bi-monthly phone calls and drafting process, none of them actual NGO practitioners) this document is lacking specificity and actual relevant use cases, tending to be too esoteric to be useful.
...
We applaud this first attempt, however, to solidify some of the wide-ranging discussion and develop a framework that, even if not quite adequate in process and presentation, nonetheless serves as a beginning on which to build on in future (and less time-consuming) iterations.
(via http://twitter.com/mobileactive )

Title: APC's assessment of the fourth Internet Governance Forum, Sharm El-Sheikh, 15-18 November 2009
Author Editor:
Pages: 7 pp.
Publisher: Association for Progressive Communications
Date (published): 26/11/2009
Date (accessed): 30/11/2009
Type of information: official statement
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This year the fourth internet governance forum was playing it safe – perhaps because next year could be its last – but we still saw real progress. Privacy no longer plays second fiddle to security, people’s rights online are recognised as central by all sides. Social networking was the new star centre stage. There are still too few women and people of colour but participants are getting younger which is a good sign. Next year APC hopes for an IGF focusing on development and human rights and looking to the future. "
(via http://twitter.com/phat_controller )

Title: Mobile Web for Social Development Roadmap
Author: Stéphane Boyera
Source: W3C Interest Group Note
Publisher: Mobile Web for Social Development Interest Group
Date (published): 17/11/2009
Date (accessed): 30/11/2009
Type of information: technical note
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
This document is the heart of the MW4D IG work. Its purpose is to understand the current challenges of deploying development-oriented services on mobile phones, evaluate existing technologies, and identify the most promising directions to lower the barriers of developing, deploying and accessing services on mobile phones and thereby creating an enabling environment for more social-oriented services to appear.
This document is divided into two major parts. The first part presents the major challenges today for both developing and accessing mobile services, potential ways to bridge them with existing tools, technologies and infrastructure, and potential research directions to follow to provide a more comprehensive resolution or solution. The second part focuses on presenting the major technologies and the major options existing today to deploy content and applications on mobile phones. For each of these technologies, the document presents a short analysis of the technology's potential and the requirements in terms of infrastructure, devices, targeted end-users, and costs associated with implementation and delivery.

Title: SMS Interconnect Fees
Author: Steve Song
Source: Many Possibilities blog
Date (published): 20/11/2009
Date (accessed): 30/11/2009
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
An interesting offshoot of my investigation in to Fair Mobile statistics was the discovery that some African operators charge an interconnect fee for SMS messages. Now interconnect fees are a topic of hot debate at the moment here in South Africa. Interconnection Fees are the charges that operators levy to terminate calls from other operators on their network.

Title: Fair Mobile – Some data
Author: Steve Song
Source: Many Possibilities blog
Date (published): 09/11/2009
Date (accessed): 30/11/2009
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Here is a first stab at putting together an index that relates the cost of mobile services to income at the bottom of the pyramid in Africa. I found some ILO data on minimum wage that covers 24 African countries and a I found a couple more by googling.

Title: National Information Society Policy: A Template
Author Editor:
Pages: 143 pp.
Publisher: UNESCO, Information for All Programme
Date (published): 21/11/2009
Date (accessed): 29/11/2009
Type of information: strategy guide
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf, 1,8 mb)
Abstract:
It is an established objective of UNESCO to assist in the formulation of national information policy frameworks, in particular within the framework of the Information for All Programme (IFAP). The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society contains a direct appeal for the development of such frameworks:
Taking into consideration the leading role of governments in partnership with other stakeholders in implementing the WSIS outcomes (including the Geneva Plan of Action) at the national level, we encourage those governments that have not yet done so to elaborate, as appropriate, comprehensive, forward-looking and sustainable national e-strategies, including ICT strategies and sectoral e-strategies as appropriate , as an integral part of national development plans and poverty reduction strategies, as soon as possible and before 2010. The present Template is designed to assist in the development of such policies and
strategies.

Title: Uganda grapples with the pros and cons of increased access to mobile phones
Author: Tabu F. Butagira
Source: BDAfrica.com
Publisher: Business Daily, Nairobi
Date (published): 26/11/2009
Date (accessed): 27/11/2009
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Many Africans consider mobile phones a lifeline rather than a luxury, yet for a large number of the rural poor they are still prohibitively expensive to buy and use.
Mobile phone companies have been lobbying governments, including Uganda’s, to cut high mobile phone taxes, which they say inflate prices.
Drive through most towns in Uganda these days and you are greeted by rows of shops and stalls freshly painted in the bright colours of the country’s competing telecoms companies.
This is just one indication of how pervasive the mobile phone has become in the life of Ugandans.
Mobile phone connections have surged in the last decade from 50,000 to 10 million, making Uganda the first African country to have more mobile phones than fixed line connections.
You do not have to look far to see the impact of the mobile on people’s lives.
They are used to send money, to check crop prices, run businesses and keep in touch.

Title: Media Literacy: Empowering Youth Worldwide
Author: Paul Mihailidis
Pages: 34 pp.
Publisher: Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA)
Date (published): 01/11/2009
Date (accessed): 27/11/2009
Type of information: report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
This report explores support and development of media literacy education and curriculum initiatives for youth in the developing world.
It has two aims:
1. To describe existing media literacy education programming for youth and young adults and support for it;
2. To highlight for policymakers the essential need for media literacy education for youth and young adults as the next generation of citizens.

Title: Africa's Mobile Phone Future: IP Based, Not SMS
Author: Wayan Vota
Source: ICTworks
Date (published): 25/09/2009
Date (accessed): 27/11/2009
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
With all the hype around the use of text messaging on mobile phones, like Google Trader or FrontlineSMS, it seems that the future of communication in Africa will be SMS.
Yet, Erik Hersman recently asked a great question: Should we be Building SMS or Internet Services for Africa?

See also:
Should we be Building SMS or Internet Services for Africa?
WhiteAfrican, Erik Hersman, August 25, 2009

Title: Connected Agriculture Developing Smart, Connected Rural Communities
Author: Bharat Popat, Contributors: James Macauley, Gustavo Menendez-Bernales
Pages: 12 pp.
Publisher: Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG)
Date (published): 17/07/2009
Date (accessed): 27/11/2009
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
To escape poverty, smallholder farmers need to enhance their skills and knowledge, and the entire smallholder-dominant value chain needs to become more competitive. The combined effect of these two factors can improve agricultural productivity and raise the incomes of rural dwellers.
The Internet can play a pivotal role by providing a cost-effective way to deliver information services to a large, dispersed population. Internet technology can deliver knowledge to farmers and planning tools to agribusinesses, and connects the various players in the value chain so they can conduct commerce more efficiently.
Despite the challenges of providing and adopting information and communications technology (ICT), use of the Internet for rural development is about to reach an inflection point. Nations that lead in the deployment and use of Internet technology for agriculture will gain an economic and social advantage.

(via http://twitter.com/e_agriculture and www.e-agriculture.org/ )