Mobile Communications and the World’s Most Vulnerable - Part 2 - Page 2

Fixed lines to the internet are limited in emerging areas around the world. For example, in 2010 there are approximately 4.3 million fixed broadband lines in South Africa; that number is down from 5.5 million, and the trend is continuing in favor of wireless broadband. What this means is that mobile devices are going to have to support the demand of the growing wireless population. Content, application, and social media development will be at the forefront of this trend, and mobile phone manufactures are addressing this demand by creating more robust and less expensive hand-held devices targeted at emerging markets.

For example, Nokia has introduced the E 63 mobile phone, which is almost Identical to their E 73, but costs them less to manufacture and sell in emerging areas because the body is made of plastic.

       E63 with plastic case                      E73 with Steel case

In South Africa, the demand for mobile devices and wireless connectivity is on the increase, and this demand has been fueled in part by mobile manufacturers in Asia. These manufacturers have targeted emerging countries through the introduction of sophisticated mobile devices, including ones that can broadcast television content. Mobile devices like these are not commonly seen in developed regions of the world. This is a classic situation where environmental conditions dictate; the cost of a television is much higher than that of a mobile device that can display a TV broadcast signal, and providing a steady flow of electricity in many emerging communities is challenging due to poor infrastructure, while broadband is too costly for many to afford.

In the future we may learn about the latest mobile technology from locations in Africa such as SWETO (an urban area of the city of Johannesburg) rather than Silicon Valley, California.

 

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Article Author: Peter Sabbagh

Peter Sabbagh is a Social Media Strategist at Blue Sky 365 Social Media Strategy, has traveled extensively implementing marketing campaigns in the United States, United Kingdom, Africa, Pacific Basin and Asia. He passionate about digital strategy, technology innovation, and social media. …

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