In this book from the International Development Research Centre, the authors describe some of the ways mobile phones have improved the lives of the poor. [...] Despite radio’s popularity and the tremendous growth in the Internet in much of the developing world, the mobile phone most often acts as the platform from which all other ICTs work. [...] The brother-in-law passes this tip along thanks to the relationship the two have established and the speed with which they can get in touch THE ISSUES AND THE DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT 3 OOnn. [...] The study, which also noted a small saving for consumers, ruled out other explanations for the changes and concluded that the introduction of the mobile phone had led to the improvements in the market. [...] CURRENT AND POTENTIAL USES OF ICTS BY THE POOR 19 On the web THE RESEARCH In many of the poorest parts of the world, almost everyone appears to have found some way to access ICTs.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Description conventions
- rda
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 303.48/33091724
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 23
- Distributor
- Canadian Electronic Library (Firm)
- General Note
- Issued also in French under title: Les pauvres et l'information, lutter contre la pauvreté à l'aide de la technologie; and in Spanish under title: Los pobres en la era de la información, combatiendo la pobreza con tecnología Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- ISBN
- 9781552505748 9781552505717
- LCCN
- HC59.72.I55
- LCCN Item number
- E43 2013eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaOONL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xvii, 88 pages)
- Published in
- Ottawa, Ontario
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)slc00234213 (OCoLC)876861015 (CaOOCEL)447403
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Title proper/short title
- Fighting poverty with technology
- Transcribing agency
- CaOONL
Table of Contents
- Cover 1
- Contents 6
- Executive Summary 10
- Foreword 14
- Preface 16
- Part 1. The issues and the development context 19
- Wireless signals, changed lives 19
- Poverty alleviation and ICT access 22
- Taking research questions into the home 24
- Part 2. The approach 27
- Critical areas for research 27
- Research networks based in the global South 28
- The need for household-level information 30
- Collecting household data 31
- Africa 31
- Asia 33
- Latin America 34
- Part 3. Current and potential uses of ICTs by the poor 37
- How the poor use ICTs 37
- Mobile phones everywhere you look 37
- Not the same information societies 39
- Internet going mobile where it can 39
- Women not coming to the phone 41
- Youth embracing ICTs, seniors showing reluctance 45
- The poor become an important market 48
- Ring me twice: Strategies for saving money 51
- Owners, borrowers, and renters 54
- Radio and TV retain an important role in Africa 60
- Why the poor use ICTs 61
- The mobile revolution explained 61
- Help in a crisis 63
- The social currency of ICTs 64
- Businesses that benefit 65
- Can ICT access help ease poverty? 73
- Building social capital 73
- ICT access and the way out of extreme poverty 74
- Part 4. Lessons for policymakers 77
- ICTs play a positive role in poverty alleviation 77
- The case for breaking up monopolies 78
- Competition comes from start-ups 79
- Important data must be released 80
- Governments’ role in increasing ICT access 82
- The Internet needs an ecosystem 84
- Content is king 84
- Regions differ 85
- Part 5. The future 87
- The open movement offers promise 87
- Harnessing the crowd 89
- The Facebook and Twitter effect 90
- Threats in an increasingly networked world 91
- New forms of exclusion 91
- Creative destruction, innovation, and intellectual property 91
- The rise of cyber warfare 92
- Privacy is dead 93
- Information and Networks program: IDRC’s role 93
- Glossary of terms and abbreviations 97
- B 97
- D 97
- E 97
- I 97
- L 98
- N 98
- O 98
- P 98
- R 98
- S 98
- Sources and resources 99
- Publications 99
- Research networks 106
