MobileActive08

In the context of the rapid growth of mobile phone penetration in developing countries mobile telephony is currently considered to be particularly important for development. Yet until recently very little systematic evidence was available that shed light on the developmental impacts of mobile telecommunication. The Information Technology for Development for Development (ICT4D) program of International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has played a critical role in filling some of the research gap.

In this talk we will evaluate the case of mobile phones as a tool to solve development problems drawing from the evidence of IDRC supported projects. IDRC has supported around 20 projects that cut across themes like livelihoods emergencies mobile phone and the poor health education and governance. We will provide a comparative analysis of the development role of mobile phones and critically assesses the key findings.