Title: A Response to "A Dialogue on ICTs, Human Development, Growth and Poverty Reduction"
Author: Rohan Samarajiva
Source: Publius Project
Publisher: Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University
Date (published): 17/09/2009
Date (accessed): 28/09/2009
Type of information: essay
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
What has changed since 2003?

Many things, but the most significant in terms of developing countries is the transformation of the role and position of mobile networks and services.

The industry dynamics around the mobile have changed with mobile equipment manufacturers (network and handset) and mobile operators getting into the telecom industry’s driver’s seat in terms of investment, innovation and thought leadership, and new actors such as Google and Apple making their presence felt in the mobile space. Network technology has changed, with the momentum, in terms of how people will access the functionalities currently associated with the Internet, shifting to EDGE and HSPA/HSDPA networks and away from ADSL and other wireguided media and WiMAX in many developing-country markets. There appears to be a powerful trend of convergence whereby mobile handsets are becoming smarter and easier to use on one side and laptops are becoming more like handsets (e.g., netbooks with embedded SIM cards) on the other.