Dialing for development - How mobile phones are transforming the lives of millions

• Pages: 5-8

Since the first cellular handheld telephone was

invented by Martin Cooper and his Motorola

team in 1973, use of mobile phones has grown at

a staggering rate making them one of the most

widely owned consumer assets. With over 4 bil-

lion mobile connections around the world and

terrestrial GSM1networks covering over 80 per-

cent of the world’s population, mobile telephony

is on track to becoming a near-universal technol-

ogy, some suggest, by 2015.

The first handheld cellular phone was a rather

cumbersome device weighing 2 kgs and with a

battery life of just 20 minutes. Today’s affordable,

lightweight and versatile third generation (3G)

models offer multiple means of communicating

(by voice, fax and e-mail) and accessing informa-

tion and entertainment. They are, in fact, steadily

developing into handheld computers. Once con-

sidered a gadget for the wealthy, the mobile

phone is increasingly becoming an essential part

of our daily lives. In many parts of the developing

world, wireless technology is being used to open

doors to a wide range of life-enhancing services

that hold great promise in spurring grassroots

development.

The charger starts charging when the bicycle reaches a speed

of 6 km/h and stops charging at 50 km/h. Cyclists can check

the charging status from the screen of their mobile phone.

The charger is resistant to humidity and dust.

In early June, Nokia launched a range of new

products specifically designed for users with lim-

ited access to electricity. These include a model

that accommodates two SIM2cards which may be

swapped and removed when the phone is

switched on – a feature that serves the needs of

multiple users. Another model offers a battery life

of up to six weeks coupled with a bicycle-driven

recharging device. News of these developments

prompted

WIPO Magazine

to take a closer look at

some of the ingenious ways in which mobile tele-

phones are being used to connect the previously

unconnected, and to improve the lives of individ-

uals, particularly in isolated, rural areas across the

developing world.

Mobile technology

spawns innovative

applications

Mobile phones are a

substitute for fixed

lines in many develop-

ing countries. They

help drive economic

growth, fostering busi-

ness development and

wider market access.

They provide a more re-

liable alternative to

roadways and postal

systems for communi-

ties in remote and un-

derserved areas. As the technology advances,

mobile phones not only enable users to make

voice calls, they offer easy access to a stunning ar-

ray of innovative applications. In developing

countries, they are creating opportunities for

users to access market information, monitor

health care, transfer money and promote literacy.

Mobile phones are being used in a range of in-

novative ways. Fishermen in Senegal use them

to obtain information on fish market stocks and

prices before deciding in which port to unload

their catch for a better return. They also use mo-

bile phones to transmit and receive distress

signals thereby improving the safety of local

fishing fleets. In South Africa, farmers from the

Limpopo province are avoiding the heavy losses

associated with transporting perishable goods

to market over long distances by using mobile

DIALING

FOR DEVELOPMENT

How mobile phones are transforming

the lives of millions

>>>

The Nokia C1-00 can

accommodate two SIM

cards in a single device.

It is also equipped with

a flashlight, FM radio,

alarm clock, is

programmed to speak in

local languages, and has

multiple phone books.

With a stand-by time of

up to 48 days and

talking time of up to

13 hours, it weighs just

72.9 g including the

battery.

1 Global system for

Mobile

Communications

2 Subscriber Identity

Module

5

Photo: ©2010 Nokia. All rights reserved.

Photo: ©2010 Nokia. All rights reserved