How can mobile phones help poor people?
Mobile phones can be used in ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development) to help poor people.
Mobile phones can be a powerful tool for promoting development and improving the lives of people in developing countries, by providing access to information, opportunities, and services. For example:
- Healthcare: Mobile phones can be used to access health information and services, including telemedicine and other remote healthcare services. This can help to improve access to healthcare, especially for people in remote or underserved areas.
- Education: Mobile phones can be used to access educational resources, including online courses, educational videos, and other materials. This can help to improve the quality of education and expand opportunities for learning.
- Employment: Mobile phones can be used to find and apply for jobs, as well as connect with potential employers and clients. They can also be used to start and run businesses, providing a source of income and economic opportunities.
- Communication: Mobile phones can be used to stay connected with friends and family, and to access news and information from around the world. They can also facilitate the exchange of ideas and facilitate collaboration with others.
- Political participation: Mobile phones can provide a platform for people to engage in political discourse and participate in the democratic process, helping to promote transparency and accountability in governance.
Technology Usability is the Real Barrier to Digital Inclusion Activities
Our world of digital development is obsessed with internet coverage. A 2025 GSMA report says that network coverage in Africa is soon expected to surpass 90%.
Recently...
People, Not Technology, are Bridges Across Digital Divides
Deep digital divides exist in India’s Assam tea plantations, where nearly 7 million Adivasi workers labor daily. These tribal communities live in stark poverty.
Dismissed...
Cybersecurity Strategies Are Making Rural Communities Less Safe
Surprise! Most cybersecurity guidance for rural communities in developing countries is actually harmful. Groundbreaking research from rural Ghana shows that well-intentioned...
Edutainment is Better Behavior Change with Radio and Mobile Phones
Edutainment is powerful. Nollywood proves we can use edutainment for behavior change. Yet we don’t often use multi-channel communication to empower audiences...
4 Insights on Assistive AI Solutions for People with Disabilities
Artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to improve the quality of life for marginalized populations, including people with disabilities. However,...
4 Reasons Why Telecentres Matter in the Mobile Phone Era
In rural areas of Africa, information and communication services provided by telecentres are instrumental in community and national development as well as improving...
Proven: Education and Mobile Phones Reduce HIV Infections in Women
Despite remarkable progress in the fight against HIV, the number of new infections remains unacceptably high, epidemics continue to grow in certain communities,...
Using Smartphones for Disaster Risk Reduction in Informal Settlement Construction
Housing in informal settlements often lacks construction techniques that adopt criteria of resilience to natural hazards. Smartphones are rapidly diffusing in economically...
10 Insights from the Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2022
Over the past five years, nearly 1.4 billion people have gained access to the internet through a mobile phone and by the end of 2021, 55% of the world’s population...
How Mobile Phones are Catalyzing an African Revolution
The following is an excerpt from Russell Southwood’s new book, Africa 2.0 – Inside a Continent’s Communications Revolution, an ambitious 35-year history of...
About Us
ICTworks™ is the premier resource for international development professionals committed to utilizing new and emerging technologies to magnify the intent of communities to accelerate their social and economic development.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Enter your e-mail to get ICTworks 3x a week!:
Become an ICTworks Writer
Our team gladly accepts outside contributors for ICTworks articles. If you would like to publish an article on our website, please see our Guest Post Guidelines
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.