“More than 30 billion mobile applications or apps were
downloaded in the year 2011. In developing countries people citizens are
increasingly using mobile phones to create new livelihoods and enhance their
life styles, while governments are using them to improve service delivery and
citizen feedback mechanisms,”
“Mobile communications offers major opportunities to advanced
human and economic development from providing basic access to health
information, to making cash payments, spurring job creation, and stimulating
citizen involvement in democratic processes,” commented World Bank sustainable
development VP Rachel Kyte.
Around three quarter of the world inhabitants now have access
to mobile phone, with subscriptions from fewer than one billion in 2000 to over
six billion currently, the World Bank and its technology and entrepreneurship programme
InfoDev, said in new report this week.
Nearly five billion subscriptions were from the developing
countries, the ‘information and communication development 2012: Maximizing
Mobile ‘report stated at the same time multiple subscriptions is becoming
common and would soon exceed the human population
.
“The challenge now is to enable people, businesses and
governments in developing countries to development their own locally relevant
mobile applications so that they can take full advantages of the opportunity”
World Bank lead information communication technology policy
specialist and report coauthor Tim Kelly said the mobile revolution was still
at the start of its own curve.
“Mobile devices are becoming cheaper and more powerful while
networks are doubling in bandwidth roughly every 18 months and expanding in
rural areas. “ The report emphasized on
the local government in funding and supporting the startups and ensuring they
are incubating small local projects targeting the local communities.
For instance, infoDev, in collaboration with the government
of Finland and Nokia, had established five regional mobile innovation labs in
Armenia, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa and Vietnam. InfoDev is also using mobile social
networking to bring grassroots entrepreneurs together with other stakeholders in
mobile hubs.
In Tanzania the government of the United Republic of
Tanzania is working with the Finish government to fund and incubate these
innovative ideas and at the same time facilitating ICT projects under the
project called TanzICT.