World Technology Conference: Web, Mobiles Keys To World Development

One of the world’s largest Internet gatherings, LeWeb Paris conference, December 7-9,  attracted some 3500 digerati from 60 countries. One theme that emerged was the growth of mobile technology in the developing world – and the need for expansion and further investment. And, that connectedness is the first stage in modern development.

According to LeWeb organizer Loïc Le Meur, “Stage one is to help provide those tools to help people express themselves and get more democracy. The next stage is economic development.”

However, people are well on their way to that goal. A soon-to-be-released United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, Mobile Technologies and Empowerment, concludes that at least 5.4 billion people have access to mobile phones, with, “483 million come from low-income countries and 2.6 billion from lower middle-income countries.”

Raul Zambrano, a UNDP information and communications technologies (ICT) policy advisor, and one of the report’s authors, notes that this penetration is generally in the form of voice and text only. “Most people have a simple, basic SMS voice phone – there are only about 15 percent of people in Africa who can use the Internet.” he said.

In order for the world to reach the Millennium Development Goal 8, ICT must be available to all, and it must move beyond the basics. Said Zambrano:

“Developing countries also need Internet service centers where people can undertake basic business transactions and access basic documents such as birth certificates, land titles and passports to help achieve other MDG targets.”

LeWeb conference 2011

Access to web, phones key to helping the poor: LeWeb (Reuters, Dec. 9, 2011)

Mobile Technologies and Empowerment (UNDP report, 2011)