Did you know that mobile telephony has a critical role to play in improving health, wealth, education, social mobility and could bring major benefits to the Sub- Saharan region in Africa?  If one considers the enormous increase of mobile communication in Africa, the general perception that mobile communication services are unaffordable to the broader community, is incorrect. Given the lack of fixed line telephony, the impact of mobile telephony on the economic and social structure of a developing country is far greater in poorer countries.

The UN has also advocated the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the achievement of the Millennium development goals. The UN Millennium Project stated that: “ICT is a powerful enabler of development goals because it dramatically improves communication and the exchange of knowledge and information, strengthening and creating new social and economic networks”.

Source:  GSM Association Mobile regulation report: Bridging the Digital Divide (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2006)