Cellphones Bring Information And Power To World's Poor
from the dialing-in dept
There have been a lot of stories about cellphones in the developing world, and how rapidly they've been adopted, even among the poor. The Washington Post has a fascinating look at how trade workers in India, use cellphones to improve their business. Fishermen, for example, use cellphones to coordinate their boats and get real-time pricing information. This allows them to take their fish to the market where the highest prices are being offered, which offers a direct financial benefit. Farmers also benefit from better pricing information, but have also found a good business use for cameraphones. With them, they are able to take pictures of diseased crops and send them to specialists who can diagnose and recommend a course of action. Again, the cellphone offers a tangible benefit to the business. One professor quoted in the article sums up the significance of cellphones very well, "One element of poverty is the lack of information. The cellphone gives poor people as much information as the middleman." That's much more compelling than the detached argument put forth by some western intellectuals who decry the advance of new technology on moral grounds.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
cell phones suck
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I can see it now...
"I'm sorry you cannot complete the call you have dialed."
There lives are hard enough but someone wants to add even more insult to injury by giving them (more than likely) unreliable cell phones?
I I know just make sure they don't get American cell phone service and they'll be okay.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: I can see it now...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: I can see it now...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Popularity
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
waiting for a jeepney in Quezon City
Me: How much is it to send a text message?
Her: Text message is free.
Me: FREE?! In the US I have to pay 10 cents to send and receive a text. So 20 cents apiece from both parties. (no monthly plan)
Her: Oh! Here we only have to pay for our loads.
The biggest difference seems to be:
In the USA - Pay little to nothing for a phone. Sign a two year contract and pay outrageous monthly fees or outrageous fees outside of paying monthly for extra features. Listen to cell phone companies brag about their connection quality and lack of dropped calls that in reality, suck. Two blocks from my house I can't even get a signal.
In Asia:
Pay a substantial amount for the phone up front. Services are relatively cheap to free. Quality of service is reflected in where it is used, which is sometimes in remote, isolated areas.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
They will have the same customer service we outsource to...... :P
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
of course...
This is corporate capitalism at its finest!
Next!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Hrm... same smart people who think G.W.B. (and friends) are doing a great job? "Western intellectuals" is rapidly becoming an oxymoron in many aspects.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
w00t
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Pace of Life
[ link to this | view in chronology ]