L I R N E . N E T

The Journal of Community Informatics (a global e-journal) is highlighting Wireless Networking for Communities, Citizens and the Public Interest. The first part of the special issue is devoted to thematic papers on issues concerned with community wireless applications. The second section, Notes from the Field, presents a series of case studies and assessments of community wireless projects.

“The papers in this special issue demonstrate that community-based approaches to Wifi development are part of a broader integration of technology, organizational capacity, and local culture. Social goals are part of most community Wifi projects, and integrating these goals and the technical structures of Wifi networks is part of what makes many community Wifi projects successful” (from the Introduction to the special issue by guest editors, Alison Powell & Sascha D. Meinrath).

Click here to go to Special Issue: Wireless Networking for Communities, Citizens and the Public Interest, The Journal of Community Informatics, Vol. 4 No. 1 (2008).

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The latest issue of ICT Update magazine, published by CTA, focuses on articles concerned with the use of mobile telephony in the agricultural sector, in particular, showing how mobile phones help farmers get a better, fairer deal for their products. Using the internet and mobile phones, farmers in East Africa learn to work more efficiently with the traders who buy their goods. The Linking Local Learners method of learning explores how farmers can access market information and get a fairer deal.

ICTs, and mobile phones in particular, have also helped some fair trade organizations to increase efficiency in the supply and delivery of goods. The Alternative Trading Network in Nigeria reports that it has saved as much as 20% in transportation costs simply by using mobile phones to coordinate distribution efforts. Farmers give up-to-date information on the quantities of products to be picked up and the truck drivers can call ahead to report any delays they encounter on the road.

Click here to go to the ICT Update webpage.

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Nielsen Mobile has just released its report: Critical Mass: The Worldwide State of the Mobile Web, which asserts that “mobile internet reached a critical mass this year” with the US, UK and Italy as leaders in mobile internet penetration. Only 3.4% of Philippines subscribers use the mobile internet each month, 3% for Singapore, 2.6% for Brazil, 1.8% for India and 1.1% for Indonesia. The US has 15.6% mobile internet penetration which translates into 40 million active users. However, the study notes that due to bundling and other factors there are “95 million US mobile users who subscribed to the service but do not necessarily use it.” The report notes that there is a consistent male bias in use (averaged across countries surveyed at 56% male users and 44% female). The top web categories and web channels are also identified.

Click here to download the Nielsen report (pdf).

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Ken Banks, founder of Founder of kiwanja.net in a recent posting to a mobile for development list on dgroups (Development through Dialogue) comments on the inception of the mobility project. “The challenge was this. How do we empower individuals in developing countries to develop and build their own mobile applications?” (See full post on next page.)

“mobility is a collaborative project which brings together some of the leading academics, technicians, educators and practitioners in the IT and mobile fields with the common goal of developing an exciting and empowering range of tools and resources to unlock the power of mobile applications development for users in the developing world”

Click here to go to the mobility project webpage.

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