The question of whether the mobile technology boom is really a “silver bullet” in regards to economic and social development in the developing world, or just another over-hyped flash in the pan, has been a contentious issue in development circles.
For myself, I have been asked taken to task many times over my boosterism of mobile technologies. My response has always been that I can’t definitively prove the benefits, yet from my observations I felt that there was something positive and transformational going on.
Well, research is now coming out that definitely shows the impact of mobile technologies. Here are some stats:
Evidence of the positive impact mobiles have on socioeconomic development is unequivocal. An assessment of the impact of mobiles in India noted that, having achieved a critical penetration rate of 25%, every 10% increase in penetration resulted in a 1.2% increase in a state’s economic growth. ~ Vodafone Group. 2009. India: The Impact of Mobile Phones. Moving the Debate Forward [online]. No. 9.
And, in case one may argue that India is not a developing country, there has also been some research done in Sudan:
Research by Ericsson and Zain on the impact of mobiles in Sudan concluded that a 1% increase in mobile penetration caused a 0.12% increase in the country’s GDP growth rate, due partly to the greater productivity and efficiency of small businesses which benefitted from improved information flows. ~ Deloitte. 2009. Economic Impact of Mobile Communications in Sudan [online]. Ericsson and Zain. Available from: http://www.ericsson.com/res/thecompany/docs/sudan_economic_report.pdf [Accessed 5th October 2010].
So, all in all it seems that mobile technology does have a positive impact economically. Please find attached the three articles that relate outline the research done on the impact of mobile technology.
I will do a more another write up after I’ve read through the documents more thoroughly.
UNICEF Mobiles4Dev Report for Dissemination
India: The Impact of Mobile Phones
Economic Impact of Mobile Phones in Sudan
Related articles
- 365 Days-129 ~ Africa and Mobile Technology (365tomythesis.com)
