183: connecting to the future

I found this fascinating article today, in the New York Times magazine. As such, it's long and detailed, but very digestible and well worth the read. It documents the rapid growth in access to mobile telephones across the world, including in some of the poorest communities, and the opportunity this presents to improve access to other services, such as banking and healthcare. Indeed, a focus for the article is the work done by Nokia and other companies to research the needs and preferences of mobile phone users (or would-be users) across Africa and Asia. There is talk of developing a basic $5 phone and chargers that work by being whirled around (thus avoiding the need for constant electricity) ... Demand for mobile phones is huge and the developmental benefits potentially very significant. One study a few years ago suggested that for every 10 additional phones per 100 people, 0.5% was added to a country's GDP. And, according to the NYT article, many in developing countries - from fishermen, to doctors, to housekeepers (and even prostitutes) - testify to the positive impact a phone has had on their efficiency and earning power. This is one technology that really is revolutionizing the way people across the world interact - and so far we may only be scratching the surface of its potential. (Photo from NYT.)