http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/30/kenya-mobile-tv/ The world is talking. Are you listening? Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:17:50 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/30/kenya-mobile-tv/comment-page-1/#comment-1451156 Mwangi - the Displaced African Fri, 09 May 2008 20:05:25 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/30/kenya-mobile-tv/#comment-1451156 My feelings at present after going through the website White African www.whiteafrican.com amongst others is that we should begin working on moving everything that has to do with information to the realm of mobile phones due to the vast proliferation of mobile phones. I remember hearing about buses in Africa where people pay for their bus trips by transferring credit to the phones of the touts....we should follow in the footsteps of brilliant innovation such as this and leverage the vast infrastructure and communication channels that already exist in Africa as a result of the mobile phone. Some possibilities include: a) Internet and education: The largest library on Earth brought directly to your phone. Sms a lesson structure and you have the makings of a virtual high school or University. b) Transferring money: There is already a billion dollar African remittance market. Instead of people having to make the trek to the bank, using the Internet and the phone people can transfer and receive money to their accounts, which they can then spend online (or use to pay for a bus ride). c) Initiatives such as Ushahidi can be used to combat crime using smses to label crime hot spots and zones. This is already being tested in Brazil, check it out here:http://whiteafrican.com/?p=999 d) People can work from home and the options are endless. Considering the vast possibilities that exist, a think tank to think about how to leverage the mobile infrastructure also appears as though it's long overdue. I would love to hear other people's ideas on how to leverage the communication channel that is the mobile phone even further to improve the lives of Africans everywhere. My feelings at present after going through the website White African http://www.whiteafrican.com amongst others is that we should begin working on moving everything that has to do with information to the realm of mobile phones due to the vast proliferation of mobile phones.
I remember hearing about buses in Africa where people pay for their bus trips by transferring credit to the phones of the touts….we should follow in the footsteps of brilliant innovation such as this and leverage the vast infrastructure and communication channels that already exist in Africa as a result of the mobile phone. Some possibilities include:
a) Internet and education: The largest library on Earth brought directly to your phone. Sms a lesson structure and you have the makings of a virtual high school or University.
b) Transferring money: There is already a billion dollar African remittance market. Instead of people having to make the trek to the bank, using the Internet and the phone people can transfer and receive money to their accounts, which they can then spend online (or use to pay for a bus ride).
c) Initiatives such as Ushahidi can be used to combat crime using smses to label crime hot spots and zones. This is already being tested in Brazil, check it out here:http://whiteafrican.com/?p=999
d) People can work from home and the options are endless.
Considering the vast possibilities that exist, a think tank to think about how to leverage the mobile infrastructure also appears as though it’s long overdue.
I would love to hear other people’s ideas on how to leverage the communication channel that is the mobile phone even further to improve the lives of Africans everywhere.

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