Pocket Answer to Digital Divide

According to this article from BBC, much of the debate about the digital divide centres on finding ways to get computers to individuals in developing countries, but some are arguing that existing mobile phone technologies are the way to connect the world. One problem with personal computers (PCs) identified in the article is that after one or two years they start to break down and schools have no money to fix equipment, especially in rural areas. "Everyone is talking about the digital divide, but the real issue is getting phones in everyone's hand," Tom Phillips, the head of GSM Association's policy unit, told the BBC News website. "The core message is simple; 80% of the world has mobile coverage yet only 25% is accessing it," he said.

The article states that mobile technology has, for some time, been making a difference in remote, underdeveloped areas of the world where it is difficult and costly to build fixed-line infrastructure and net access. One reason for its success is its ease of use and its ability to conveniently overcome language and literacy issues. While internet access in the traditional sense, via a computer, needs some level of know-how, such as typing and reading skills, the mobile, in its simplest form, requires voice only. Mobile technology is being used in local communities to find out market prices, and other vital information, such as medical advice. For example, in Bangladesh, mobiles are being extensively used for e-learning, e-commerce, and e-government, and local communities there are working on making more local content available via mobile networks.

The article proposes that the real opportunities for mobile technologies lie in its ability to work with other existing infrastructures that are in place already. One project by Nokia, called BridgeIT, was demonstrated at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). It demonstrated how satellite and mobile technologies could be married to provide vital interactive e-learning for people in the Philippines. The project provides schools with Nokia set-top boxes carrying 80GB of storage on board, a GSM mobile, a Sim card, and a guide to interactive maths and science lessons. When teachers want to access lessons, they text a unique code and the interactive material is downloaded at off-peak times to the box.