Title: India: Community Radio Stations Multiply, but Will They Thrive?
Author: Sushmita Malaviya
Source: AudienceScapes
Publisher: InterMedia
Date (published): 05/05/2010
Date (accessed): 06/05/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
From modest beginnings nearly a decade ago in the academic community, India now boasts 70-plus community radio stations (CRs) run by universities as well as NGOs and agricultural agencies. But visits to seven CRs, as part of a study sponsored by the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), showed that they face common challenges to sustainability and growth: time-consuming licensing processes, weak transmission power, the need for more human resource training, and the perennial search for a viable CR business model.

Title: On Love and Hate for 160 characters
Author: Oliver Christopher Kaigwa Haas
Source: Appfrica.net
Publisher: Appfrica International
Date (published): 03/05/2010
Date (accessed): 06/05/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
“SMS till you drop!” A phrase that reflects well, the growing popularity of the 160-character text message in Africa. As is often the case with the implementation of simple technologies in low-resource settings, the creativity that has stemmed out of the use of SMS on this continent is truly amazing. As mobile phones become increasingly ubiquitous across Africa, SMS technology is being used to provide a host of innovative services in the health, financial and education sectors. While I am very excited about these developments, I have recently become increasingly sceptical about the potential for SMS to bring about a true revolution in end-user mobile technologies and applications in Africa.

Title: Where a Cellphone Is Still Cutting Edge
Author Editor: Anand Giridharadas
Source: The New York Times
Publisher: The New York Times Company
Date (published): 09/04/2010 (A version of this article appeared in print on April 11, 2010, on page WK4 of the New York edition.)
Date (accessed): 28/04/2010
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
What if, globally speaking, the iPad is not the next big thing? What if the next big thing is small, cheap and not American?

America went into a frenzy last weekend with the iPad’s release. But even as hundreds of thousands here unwrap their iPads, another future entirely may be unfolding overseas on the cellphone.

Forgotten in the American tumult is a global flowering of innovation on the simple cellphone. From Brazil to India to South Korea and even Afghanistan, people are seeking work via text message; borrowing, lending, and receiving salaries on cellphones; employing their phones as flashlights, televisions and radios.

Title: Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities
Authors: Dharma Dailey, Amelia Bryne, Alison Powell, Joe Karaganis and Jaewon Chung
Pages: 103 pp.
Publisher: Social Science Research Council
Date (published): 01/03/2010
Date (accessed): 23/03/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
The social function of the Internet has changed dramatically in recent years. What was, until recently, a supplement to other channels of information and communication has become increasingly a basic requirement of social and economic inclusion. Educational systems, employers, and government agencies at all levels have shifted services online—and are pushing rapidly to do more. Price remains only one factor shaping the fragile equilibrium of home broadband adoption, and library and community organizations fill the gap by providing critical training and support services while under severe economic pressures. Commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to analyze the factors shaping low rates of adoption of home broadband services in low-income and other marginalized communities, this SSRC study is one of the only large-scale qualitative investigations of barriers to adoption in the US and complements FCC survey research on adoption designed to inform the 2010 National Broadband Plan. The study draws on some 170 interviews of non-adopters, community access providers, and other intermediaries conducted across the US in late 2009 and early 2010 and identifies a range of factors that make broadband services hard to acquire and even harder to maintain in such communities.

Title: Africa Development Research Series: Ghana Quantitative Survey Report
Author: Hannah Bowen
Pages: 112 pp.
Source: InterMedia AudienceScapes
Publisher: InterMedia Survey Institute

Date (published): 26/02/2010
Date (accessed): 13/03/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf - 4,8 MB)
Abstract:
This report is based on a quantitative survey in Ghana and gives development practitioners a concise but rich description of the development information environment in Ghana. It offers insight into how information is gathered, shared and used at the grassroots level. In addition, it showcases the power of the AudienceScapes national survey instrument to help
the development community better target their communications and information efforts.

This unique dataset addresses some of the toughest questions in development program management: From which information sources do various segments of the population learn about development issues? How can we share critical information with target demographic groups efficiently and effectively? What sorts of information do people want, need or lack?
The nationally representative survey in Ghana was conducted over three weeks in July and August 2009 with a sample of 2,051 respondents selected from the adult population (15 and over) according to a probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) sampling plan
Key elements of the dataset include:
Descriptions of general media use, ICT use and communication habits.
In-depth sections on radio, TV, print, mobile phone and internet use.
In-depth sections on access to and use of information covering personal finance, health, and agriculture issues.
Demographic and socio-economic status information.
Respondents’ opinions about selected development issues.
Measures of trust in information sources and institutions.

Structure of This Report
The report summary provides a detailed rundown of the main findings.
Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of the development context in Ghana when the research took place.
Chapter 2 describes how Ghanaians gather and share information in general, while Chapter 3 focuses on the use of specific media and ICTs.
Chapter 4 discusses communication in the context of three important development sectors: health, personal finance and agriculture, including case studies that highlight ways the AudienceScapes data can inform development programs in each sector.
The appendices provide additional details on research methods, InterMedia and the AudienceScapes team.

Title: Africa Development Research Series: Kenya Quantitative Survey Report
Author: Hannah Bowen
Pages: 129 pp.
Source: InterMedia AudienceScapes
Publisher: InterMedia Survey Institute
Date (published): 26/02/2010
Date (accessed): 13/03/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf - 4,8 MB)
Abstract:
This report is based on a quantitative survey in Kenya and gives development practitioners a
concise but rich description of the development information environment in Kenya. It offers
insight into how information is gathered, shared and used at the grassroots level. In
addition, it showcases the power of the AudienceScapes national survey instrument to help
the development community better target its communications and information efforts.
This unique dataset addresses some of the toughest questions in development program
management: How much and from which sources do various segments of the population
learn about development issues? How can we share critical information with target
demographic groups efficiently and effectively? What sorts of information do people want,
need or lack?

Structure of this Report
The report summary provides a detailed overview of the main findings.
Chapter 1 introduces the information and development context in which the survey was conducted.
Chapter 2 highlights findings about media and communication habits, with special attention to word-of-mouth networks and to the particular challenges of communicating with rural populations and women.
Chapter 3 details Kenyans’ access to and use of various media and ICTs, while Chapter 4 applies the AudienceScapes data to three key development sectors: health, personal finance and agriculture.
The appendices provide additional details on research methods, the AudienceScapes team and the AudienceScapes project research advisory board.

via http://www.onlineafrica.net/

Title: Women and Mobile: Is It Really a Global Opportunity?
Authors: Anne-Ryan Heatwole with Katrin Verclas
Source: MobileActive.org
Date (published): 08/03/2010
Date (accessed): 08/03/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Today is International Women's Day and as we do every year, we are looking at the complex and intriguing issue of women and mobile technology around the world. A new report, “Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity,” by the GSMA Development Fund, the Cherie Blair Foundation and Vital Wave Consulting, tackles the issue of the gender gap in mobile phone usage with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.

Title: Convergence in Information and Communication Technology: Strategic and Regulatory Considerations
Authors: Rajendra Singh, Siddhartha Raja
Pages: 136 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-8213-8169-4
e-ISBN: 978-0-8213-8171-7
Publisher: The World Bank
Date (published): February 2010
Date (accessed): 08/03/2010
Type of information: report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (Flash)
Abstract:
Growth in the information and technology (ICT) sector has exploded over the past 20 years. Dynamic market and technology developments have led to a phenomenon known as convergence, defined in this volume as the erosion of boundaries between previously separate ICT services, networks, and business practices. Examples include cable television networks that offer phone service, Internet television, and mergers between media and telecommunications firms.

The results are exciting and hold significant promise for developing countries, which can benefit from expanded access, greater competition, and increased investments. However, convergence in ICT is challenging traditional policy and regulatory frameworks. With convergence occurring in countries across the spectrum of economic development, it is critical that policy makers and regulators understand it and respond in ways that maximize the benefits while mitigating the risks.

This volume analyzes the strategic and regulatory dimensions of convergence. It offers policy makers and regulators examples from countries around the world as they address this phenomenon. The authors suggest that countries that enable convergence are likely to reap the greater rewards. But the precise nature of the response will differ by country. Hence, this book offers global principles that should be tailored to local circumstances as regulatory frameworks evolve to address convergence.

Title: Socio-Economic Impact of Mobile Phones on Indian Agriculture
Authors: Surabhi Mittal, Sanjay Gandhi, Gaurav Tripathi
Pages: 53 pp.
Publisher: Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
Date (published): 25/02/2010
Date (accessed): 04/03/2010
Type of information: working paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Deficits in physical infrastructure, problems with availability of agricultural inputs and poor access to agriculture-related information are the major constraints on the growth of agricultural productivity in India. The more rapid growth of mobile telephony as compared to fixed line telephony and the recent introduction of mobile-enabled information services provide a means to overcome existing information asymmetry. It also helps, at least partially, to bridge the gap between the availability and delivery of agricultural inputs and agriculture infrastructure.
This paper investigates a series of questions that explore this topic: What kind of information do farmers value the most to improve agricultural productivity? Do mobile phones and mobile- enabled agricultural services have an impact on agriculture? What are the factors that impede the realisation of the full productivity enhancing potential of mobile phones? The answers to these questions have important implications for mobile operators, for information service providers, and for policy-makers. The quality of information, its timeliness and trustworthiness are the three important features that have to be ensured to enable farmers to use it effectively to improve productivity.
The study found evidence that mobiles are being used in ways which contribute to productivity enhancement. However, to leverage the full potential of information dissemination enabled by mobile telephony will require significant improvements in supporting infrastructure and capacity building amongst farmers to enable them to use the information they access effectively.
As mobile penetration continues to increase among farming communities and information services continue to adapt and proliferate, the scope exists for a much greater rural productivity impact in the future.

Title: Network Developments in Support of Innovation and User Needs
Authors: James Enck, Taylor Reynolds
Pages: 70 pp.
Publisher: OECD, Working Party on Communication Infrastructures and Services Policy
Date (published): 09/12/2009
Date (accessed): 17/02/2010
Type of information: report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
High-speed broadband networks are a platform supporting innovation throughout the economy today in much the same way electricity and transportation networks spurred innovation in the past. New innovations such as smart electrical grids, tele-medicine, intelligent transportation networks, interactive learning and cloud computing will require fast communication networks to operate efficiently.
Telecommunication companies have been investing to upgrade their older copper and coax cables to new fibre lines which have vastly larger capacity but the economic crisis has threatened to halt this investment just when consumers and businesses are using more Internet bandwidth. Telecommunication investment largely mimics GDP (gross domestic product) growth - but in a more exaggerated way.

Many governments have stepped in to fill the gap using stimulus funds to pay for new broadband networks. But there has been significant debate about whether these investments make economic sense, particularly as governments are entering into an area which has recently been entrusted to the private sector.
This report helps put these interventions in perspective by showing that government investments could be justified based on just small direct benefits in just four key sectors of the economy – electricity, health, education and transportation. Just a small cost reduction across these four sectors resulting from the new networks could justify the government spending.