“Maximizing Mobile” Report Eyes the Future of M4D

In 2008, Jeffrey Sachs said to the United Nations Millenium Project that “mobile phones and wireless internet end isolation, and will therefore prove to be the most transformative technology of economic development of our time.” Well, as the new World Bank report “Maximizing Mobile” shows, Sachs may not have been too far off the mark. However, despite the promising statistics there are still some daunting challenges in the field of m4d that must be overcome.

The report shows some very encouraging mobile statistics. Between 2000 and 2012, the number of mobile phones in use worldwide grew from less than 1 billion to over 6 billion (check out this great info-graphic). The number of mobile subscriptions in low and middle-income countries has increased by over 1,500 percent between the years 2000 and 2010, moving from 4 subscriptions per 100 people up to 72 subscriptions. Indeed, the mobile sector as a whole has become an increasingly significant economic force in developing economies, with mobile revenues as a proportion of gross national income (GNI), rising from 0.9 percent in 2000 to 1.5 percent in 2010.

Beyond statistics, the report points to some very interesting trends that must be kept in mind as we move forward in any mobile for development work. First and foremost, “Maximizing Mobile” marks a change in dynamics for the Bank’s approach to ICT: a shift away from its traditional supply-side focus on connectivity to a new demand-side focus on mobile applications and the ways ICTs are used. Indeed, the report posits that much of the industry is shifting from hardware to software and services – as it is no longer about the phone, but rather how the phones are used. Though true,

As for challenges, the report provides useful inside into the obstacles and constraints that mobile still faces. Generally, the most common constraints to the supply side of mobile service provision are a lack of available spectrum and inadequate backbone networks. The largest constraints on the demand side remain a lack of affordable mobile devices and broadband services, as well as a dearth of local applications and content available to users. The bank goes on to underscore the importance of partnership programs between government, business, and NGOs and the role they can play in surmounting these obstacles.

When it comes to content creation, no one is better placed to construct relevant and localized applications and services than those who need them. The Bank points out, quite rightly, that “new mobile applications that are designed locally and rooted in the realities of the developing world will be much better suited to addressing challenges than applications transplanted from elsewhere.” The report highlights the emerging trend of the crowdsourcing that has arisen out of social networking, increased connectivity and the subsequent demand that often results. Local content portals have been popping up all over the world in order to satisfy local demand for various types of news and information previously inaccessible. Indeed many mobile innovations (multi-sim card phones, low-cost recharges, mobile payments) increasingly originate in poorer countries.

There are many opportunities in the field as we move forward. Tapping into and fostering local talent for mobile application development is an important next step and should remain a priority, as use and development of smart phone applications is likely to rise as market pressures continue to drive down prices. Cross-sector partnerships between governments, firms, and NGOs will be necessary for creating the necessary solutions to both supply and demand-side obstacles. Sachs may very well have been correct, but we still have many challenges ahead before mobile’s full potential can be realized.

July 31, 2012/by actualize

Agriculture, Agriculture Markets, Extension Service, Farmer to Farmer, Food Security, Mobile, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

The mFarmer Initiative: 2 Million Small Farmers to Benefit by 2013

The GSMA, a global body that represents the interests of over 1000 mobile operators and suppliers, launched the mFarmer Initiative Fund today, in Cape Town South Africa. The Fund, which will run until 2013, is backed by financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

If successfully implemented, the mFarmer Fund will enable the provision of more efficient farm extension services to 2 million of the world’s poorest farmers. The Fund will target “mobile communications service providers, in partnership with other public and private sector agricultural organizations, to provide information and advisory services to smallholder farmers in developing countries living under US$2 per day”.

The initiative will target 12 countries: India, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. However, the technologies developed and lessons learned will be shared globally. The mobile sector advocate said the initiative will function through competitive and deadline-driven grants. For more on the criteria for grants from the mFarmer Fund, please click here.

The Fund is part of GSMA’s thrust to fully deploy and integrate mobile technology into agricultural management, to boost productivity and ensure food security, under its flagship Mobile Agriculture (mAgri) Programme.

The GSMA project will further promote demand-driven, use inspired mobile tools for farmers. The rapid rise in mobile phone subscriptions, in even the outskirts of the developing world, presents opportunities to improve the lives of those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

June 9, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Agriculture Markets, Mobile, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Sustainable Agriculture

Kenyan Telecoms Giants and Universities Collaborate to Innovate

A culture of collaboration between telecommunications giants and leading local universities make Kenya a leading player in the world of mobile innovations.

Today, three universities- Moi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), and Nairobi University- s igned a deal with telecommunications supplier Huawei, and service provider Safaricom to “boost ICT skills among students in the east African nation”. Under the agreement, the curriculum will be refashioned to reflect industry trends. Students will be given real world exposure through a competition for Android applications development.

Huawei’s East African training center in Nairobi will be the focal point for much of the training. This puts Kenya on the cusp of honing the skills of the next generation of mobile innovators, which will accelerate the rapid pace at which it produces cutting-edge mobile apps.

Collaboration between industry and Kenyan universities is widespread. A consortium of stakeholders, including Nairobi University, joined forces to create m:lab, which is a leading force behind Kenya’s mobile application successes.

June 8, 2011/by actualize