Benefits of mobile communication in rural and developing areas
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
· Health, education and small business development enhanced by mobile
services
· At least 6000 lives per year could be saved in the countries studied
by providing mobile communication
· 3 out of 4 people feel they benefit socially or financially by using
a mobile phone
· ICT a key enabler in accelerating the push towards achieving the
Millennium Development Goals by 2015
Only three years since the project started, new research conducted at the
Millennium Villages by Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC), The Earth Institute and
Millennium Promise shows that quality and availability of health and education
services improved thanks to access to mobile connectivity. The recently
published report, The Impact of Mobile Connectivity on the Millennium
Development Goals in Africa, also shows increased benefits were identified for
small businesses by reducing transportation costs and supporting micro business
preconditions such as price and market information being accessible.
The results of the monitoring and evaluation study -conducted in Ghana, Nigeria,
Kenya and Tanzania- show that the introduction of mobile networks has the
potential to influence socio-economic development for individuals and villages
in remote areas. This is in line with different studies done showing that 1.2
percent growth GDP can be achieved in developing countries for every 10 percent
increase in mobile penetration rate.
With the aid of a mobile phone and a toll free number to the health services,
health workers can save lives. In the studied countries this would add up to
6000 lives saved per year.
In terms for transportation, respondents reported saving an average of USD 5 per
trip by placing calls instead of travelling. This difference is particularly
important considering the income of the area is less than USD 1 per day.
Elaine Weidman Grunewald, Head of Sustainability, Ericsson, says, "This report
sets an important baseline, and the results of the study show the potential for
expansion and use of mobile technology in other African and developing countries
in rural, remote and poor areas. We believe that a large majority of the
approximately 57 million people living in rural areas in these four countries
could benefit from mobile communications with reasonable levels of investment in
additional telecommunications infrastructure."
Lars Linden, Head of Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa, says, "The tremendous growth
of mobile networks and uptake of mobile subscriptions indicates ground-breaking
opportunities for society taking advantage of the implemented infrastructure.
However, there are still 1 billion people living outside mobile network coverage
and electrical grid in the world. We have found that the use of renewable energy
sources combined with customized applications presents a sustainable business
opportunity for operators, at the same time supporting individuals to a better
quality of life. Ericsson is committed to supporting this need"
The same opportunity for society and operators can be seen in other countries.
In India mobile phone use is a large driver of income growth. Rural Indian
mobile phone users most sought after services are: agricultural information
(40%), entertainment services (16%) such as music, and financial services (8%)
such as mobile remittance and money. Health applications were ranked as 5th in
importance. This is somewhat different than in developed markets.
"The mobile phone is the most powerful technology for ending poverty in the
world today," said Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of Columbia University's
Earth Institute. "With the spread of 3G and soon 4G technology, even the most
remote schools in the poorest parts of the world can connect to the Internet and
share ideas with other classrooms a continent away. Pastoralists, once isolated,
can now quickly check on local market prices and make important decisions on
whether to bring their herds in from kilometers away for sale in the local town.
And critical health data and life-saving information can be sent by text
messages to clinics to support rapid diagnoses for patients in remote villages.
The Millennium Villages project is deeply honored to partner with Ericsson, a
remarkable pioneer and leader in the field of telecommunications and
development. With their bold vision and action, in partnership with rural
communities throughout Africa, poverty is being rolled back and an era of new
prosperity is dawning."
In 2007, Ericsson committed to provide connectivity to the Millennium Villages
Project in partnership with MTN, Zain and Sony Ericsson. In a public-private
partnership with the Earth Institute, Millennium Promise and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), Ericsson is bringing mobile communications and
internet to more than a half million people in 10 African countries where the
MVP is working. By the end of 2009, 83 percent of the villages had mobile
communication capabilities.
Currently, there are 5 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide. Out of those,
450 million are in Africa, which represents 43 percent of the African
population. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the penetration is 42 percent, representing
297 million. By 2013, analysts estimate that sub-Saharan Africa will increase
its mobile penetration to 65 percent.
The report has been submitted to the repository of global resources being
created under the auspices of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development,
just prior to the annual week-long meeting of the United Nations General
Assembly, which this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG). During the week of September 19-22, Ericsson
will be participating in different activities related to the MDGs, including the
Broadband Commission for Digital Development, the Digital Health Initiative,
Women Connected for Health, and the Clinton Global Initiative's Annual Meeting.
During the week, Ericsson, The Earth Institute and Millennium Promise will also
launch a new initiative, Connect to Learn that aims to use internet and mobile
technologies to make education accessible for children in rural areas.
Notes to editors:
Millennium Villages study:
www.ericsson.com/article/studies-and-publications_20100330133905
Connect to Learn website:
www.connecttolearn.org
Our multimedia content is available at the broadcast room:
www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room
Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom
operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and
provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the
leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises mobile
and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and
multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony
Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich
personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the "prime driver in an
all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable
business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 80,000 employees
generated revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in 2009. Founded in
1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ
OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
www.ericsson.com
www.twitter.com/ericssonpress
www.twitter.com/ericssonsustain
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www.youtube.com/ericssonpress
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Ericsson Corporate Public & Media Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 69 92
E-mail:media.relations(at)ericsson.com
Ericsson Investor Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 00 00
E-mail:investor.relations(at)ericsson.com
[HUG#1445339]
press relese in pdf:
http://hugin.info/1061/R/1445339/388746.pdf
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Source: Ericsson via Thomson Reuters ONE
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Datum: 20.09.2010 - 13:49 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 42843
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