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Around three-quarters of the world’s population now have access to a mobile phone, according to a new report from the World Bank and infoDev, its technology entrepreneurship and innovation program. The number of mobile subscriptions in use worldwide, both pre-paid and post-paid, has grown from fewer than 1 billion in 2000 to over 6 billion now, of which nearly 5 billion in developing countries. What’s more, ownership of multiple subscriptions is becoming increasingly common, suggesting that their number will soon exceed that of the human population.
The report titled “Information and Communications for Development 2012: Maximizing Mobile” also noted that over 30 billion mobile apps were downloaded in 2011. In developing countries, citizens are increasingly using mobile phones to create new livelihoods and enhance their lifestyles, while governments are using them to improve service delivery and citizen feedback mechanisms.
For instance, India’s state of Kerala’s mGovernment program has deployed over 20 applications and facilitated more than 3 million interactions between the government and citizens since its launch in December 2010. In Kenya, people are paying using their mobile phones with M-PESA service; Nairobi-based AkiraChix provides networking and training for women technologists; while in Palestine, Souktel’s JobMatch service is helping young people find jobs… Pretty cool to see the mobile technology changing livelihoods for the better all around the world.
About The Author
Dusan Belic
Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.
