It requires more than mobile to economically empower Rajat Kathuria On the contrary, academic research has shown the vital importance of complementary skills and other infrastructure. Unless they are in place, the full potential of better access to telecommunications will not be realized. Mobiles currently provide more than 600 million points of connectivity in India, through…
Empower Through ‘M’power N. Ravi Shanker Post 2000, India heralded into ICT vibrancy, with both policy and programmes finding ground presence in robust national IT infrastructure, National e-Governance Plan, Broadband policy, citizen service delivery platforms and many more The IT boom has made India digitally present. The mobile boom has made India globally resonant. Since…
Mobile Media: Centre Stage in ICT4D? Madanmohan Rao Mobile marketing allows for rich personalisation. It can beimpulse-driven, and with high-reach and high retention. Mobile campaigns can help companies get valuable customer and campaign insights for launching bigger mass media campaigns later Those ICT4D activists who may have been disheartened with the slow pace of Internet…
The Path of least Resistance Sidin Vadukut Many of the nominees and winners have used the mobile phone in fantastic ways to deliver change. One nominee has a voice enabled ERP system that can help farmers interact with contractors more efficiently. Another nominee has created a system to obtain, fill and submit college admission application…
The Internet Is Changing…Can You Feel It? Manish Dalal Today, consumers have ushered in the “Any Era” demanding access to any information, from any device, any time and anywhere they want it. And they not only want access; they want the ability to contribute, personalize and socialize. Consumer generated websites such as Facebook, Wikipedia and…
Made to order – Rural VAS offerings Kunal Bajaj Mobile marketing allows for rich personalisation. It can beimpulse-driven, and with high-reach and high retention. Mobile campaigns can help companies get valuable customer and campaign insights for launching bigger mass media campaigns later The telecom industry has been witnessing increasing focus on rural subscribers by the…
Mobile services next growth frontier is rural India Vishwanath Alluri Rural India brings with it many peculiarities and uniqueness. Undoubtedly the rural sector of India’s population is unlike its counterparts in the urban areas. In the urban areas cricket and Bollywood forms the major part of VAS consumption coming mainly from the youth segment. In…
Mobile miracle for underprivileged Ananya Raihan As a member of the Jury, I saw how diverse is the development endeavours and how big is the potential of deploying mobile phone-based solutions for citizens. I am happy to see that majority of the solutions will benefit the poor and marginalized people of South Asia I frequently…
Beyond Song & Dance Ibrahim Ahmad There were many such eye opening stories. Unfortunately we do not hear about these initiatives. One reason is that for many operators these services do not make much sense as they do not make any money. The operators are more keen on games, songs, and movie clips, as that’s…
Mobiles and development policy Dr. Amir Ullah Khan With mobile telephony the big hurdle in reaching to the targeted population also gets solved and the subsidy debate which often ends with the clinching argument that all subsidy goes to the undeserving can be put to rest One of the most fascinating applicators of the mobile…
