MobileActive.org

Do Mobiles Level the Playing Field?

We'd like to think that mobiles are a great economic equalizer, decreasing the gap between rich and poor.

But in a case study [PDF] published earlier this year about cloth weavers in Nigeria, authors Abi Jagun, Richard Heeks and Jason Whalley contest the conventional wisdom that more mobile phones result in a more equal society.

"There were few signs, then, of mobile telephony levelling the playing field; and more signs that it had been a technology of inequality," the authors wrote.

The study, which looked at the use of mobiles by the aso oke cloth weaving sector in Nigeria, found that mobiles did help those who had them. "By substituting for some journeys, plus in-person meetings, we can see that phone calls have reduced the time and financial cost of information-gathering, often by several hours and several U.S. dollars respectively per call (not to mention the opportunity cost gains)," wrote the authors.

$25 cellular handset?

Cell phones need to be cheaper so that more people in developing countries can plug in. Lower cost communication options can help in so many aspects of poor people’s lives, from facilitating the finding of more accurate information on market prices to organizing to speak out against a government that often neglects them.

Bringing cell phones to the masses around the world is also a huge market place for producers to tap. But right now the price of handsets is still prohibitive for may poor people. Cellular-News recently published the article, $25 cellular handset achievable within two years (http://www.cellular-news.com/story/13029.php), looking at industry expectations for lower prices over the next several years.

“Among respondents to the survey, 80% reported a belief that a low-end GSM handset with a total bill-of-materials cost of US$25 can be achieved within two years or less, while 51% believe this level can be reached within one year or less. In addition to electronic and mechanical components, the cost of the handset as presented in the survey was defined to include battery, testing, final assembly, software and IP licensing, and product packaging.”