scholarly journals Information from Markets Near and Far: Mobile Phones and Agricultural Markets in Niger

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 46-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny C Aker
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Price Dispersion ◽  
Percent Reduction ◽  
Transport Costs ◽  
Grain Markets ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Phone Service ◽  
The Impact

Price dispersion across markets is common in developing countries. Using novel market and trader-level data, this paper provides estimates of the impact of mobile phones on price dispersion across grain markets in Niger. The introduction of mobile phone service between 2001 and 2006 explains a 10 to 16 percent reduction in grain price dispersion. The effect is stronger for market pairs with higher transport costs. (JEL O13, O33, Q11, Q13)

scholarly journals Anonymised and aggregated crowd level mobility data from mobile phones suggests that initial compliance with COVID-19 social distancing interventions was high and geographically consistent across the UK

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Jeffrey ◽  
Caroline E. Walters ◽  
Kylie E. C. Ainslie ◽  
Oliver Eales ◽  
Constanze Ciavarella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
High Density ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Population Mobility ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Background: Since early March 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic across the United Kingdom has led to a range of social distancing policies, which have resulted in reduced mobility across different regions. Crowd level data on mobile phone usage can be used as a proxy for actual population mobility patterns and provide a way of quantifying the impact of social distancing measures on changes in mobility. Methods: Here, we use two mobile phone-based datasets (anonymised and aggregated crowd level data from O2 and from the Facebook app on mobile phones) to assess changes in average mobility, both overall and broken down into high and low population density areas, and changes in the distribution of journey lengths. Results: We show that there was a substantial overall reduction in mobility, with the most rapid decline on the 24th March 2020, the day after the Prime Minister’s announcement of an enforced lockdown. The reduction in mobility was highly synchronized across the UK. Although mobility has remained low since 26th March 2020, we detect a gradual increase since that time. We also show that the two different datasets produce similar trends, albeit with some location-specific differences. We see slightly larger reductions in average mobility in high-density areas than in low-density areas, with greater variation in mobility in the high-density areas: some high-density areas eliminated almost all mobility. Conclusions: These analyses form a baseline from which to observe changes in behaviour in the UK as social distancing is eased and inform policy towards the future control of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK.

Smallholder farmers’ knowledge of mobile telephone use: Gender perspectives and implications for agricultural market development

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Barimah Owusu ◽  
Paul W. K. Yankson ◽  
Stephen Frimpong
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Mobile Telephone ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Agricultural Marketing ◽  
The Impact

Recent growth in mobile telephone and mobile-based information services in many developing countries provides opportunities to reduce costly and incomplete information dissemination in the agricultural sector and ensure efficient functioning of markets. But in order to successfully use mobile phones for the optimal development of agricultural markets, understanding the impact of social structure on mobile phone adoption, its uses and perceived impacts are invaluable. Although global assessments of capacity in the use of information communication technology (ICT) devices have been considered, such assessments mask significant geo-spatial variations among local farmers—male and female—with respect to their capacity to effectively use basic mobile phone functions. Documenting and recognizing this is important for the development of national agricultural ICT policies, as well as programmes aimed at increasing farmers’ knowledge and use of ICT for agricultural marketing. This article’s contribution to agricultural marketing and the use of ICT in developing countries (such as Ghana) is anchored in the assessment of the technical capacity and mobile telephone-based market information access to farmers in selected rural districts of Ghana. The selected districts are where most households are poor and heavily dependent on farming as their mainstay, and furthermore, where market information which mobile phones facilitate is crucial to maximizing their incomes.

Women, Empowerment, and Mobile Phones in the Developing World

2020 ◽  
pp. 528-544
Author(s):  
Laura Stark
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mobile Communication ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Mobile Telephony ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Gender And Development ◽  
And Control

This chapter surveys and analyzes recent literature on mobile communication to examine its relationship to gender and development, more specifically how women in developing countries use and are impacted by mobile phones. Focusing on issues of power, agency, and social status, the chapter reviews how mobile telephony has been found to be implicated in patriarchal bargaining in different societies, how privacy and control are enabled through it, what benefits have been shown to accrue to women using mobile phones, and what barriers, limitations, and disadvantages of mobile use exist for women and why. The conclusion urges more gender-disaggregated analysis of mobile phone impact and use and offers policy and design recommendations based on the overview and discussion.

The Impact of Mobile Phones on Teenagers' Socialization and Emancipation

2015 ◽  
pp. 12-24
Author(s):  
Kalogeraki Stefania ◽  
Papadaki Marina
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Parental Monitoring ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Group Interactions ◽  
The One ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mobile Phone Communication

The mobile phone has become an indispensable mean of communication in the world today, and for teenagers specifically has become de rigueur in everyday life. The eagerness of teenagers to embrace mobile devices can be associated with such devices' instrumental as well as social and expressive functions. However, these functions are intertwined with critical impacts on the interaction between teenagers and parental/peer groups. On the one hand, the mobile phone acts as a symbolic “umbilical cord” that provides a permanent channel of communication, intensifying parental surveillance. On the other hand, it creates a greater space for interaction with peers beyond parental monitoring and control. This article summarizes current research and presents an empirical example of the impact of teenagers' mobile phone communication on the dynamics of parental and peer group interactions during their socialization and emancipation from the familial sphere.

M-Government

2011 ◽  
pp. 78-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mubarak S. Almutairi
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Many ◽  
Near Future

In developing countries like the Saudi Arabia, due to high mobile phone penetration rates, any electronic government initiatives that don’t take mobile technology into account will eventually fail. While the number of landline phones and internet subscribers are growing steadily over the past few years, the number of mobile phone users and its penetration rates are skyrocketing. In the near future and with the many mobile phone features, mobile phones will remain the main media of communication and a main source for providing information to citizens and customers.

Standards, Patents and Mobile Phones

2010 ◽  
pp. 235-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudi Bekkers ◽  
Joel West
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Policy Effectiveness ◽  
Firm Strategies ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Ipr Policy ◽  
The Impact

The impact of patents and patent royalties are a major concern of standards setting organisations. Here we examine the patents filed in the UMTS 3rd generation mobile phone standard, governed by the ETSI IPR policy in response to patent issues faced during the earlier GSM standardization. We contrast firm strategies and policy effectiveness between the GSM and UTMS efforts, and review the potential impact of potential changes to the ETSI IPR policy.

Innovations in Mobile Broadband in Japan and its Implications to Developing Countries

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Sheikh Taher Abu
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Method ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Mobile Broadband ◽  
Policy And Strategy ◽  
Economic Technology

Japan has experienced two developmental stages in the mobile telephony innovation since 1979 when the first mobile phone was commercially launched. The stages can be identified as traditional mobile phone with only voice function and mobile phone with IP (Internet Protocol). This paper discusses how mobile phone with IP function offers diversified services, influences people’s daily lives by changing their ways of communication, and interaction by adopting mobile broadband. The paper examines key economic, technology and policy factors based on monthly datasets from 2000-2007 in the provision of both second (2G) and third generation (3G) mobile phones adoption. Particularly, the study uses a linear regression model and presents extended and reduced models using the Pearson correlation method. The results of the empirical study examine how innovations in services contribute to the mobile broadband deployment in Japan. Main findings of this study suggest policy and strategy implications for developing countries which are adopting IP functionality in mobile phones. The paper also presents brief recommendations for India’s 3G mobile phone adoptions in terms of opportunities, challenges, and policies which drive on growth.

Promoting Voluntariness on Technology Usage in Organisations

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-48
Author(s):  
Renatus Mushi ◽  
Said Jafari
Keyword(s):  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Technology Diffusion ◽  
Technology Usage ◽  
Desktop Computer ◽  
Mobile Phone Technology ◽  
Thin Client ◽  
The Impact

Voluntariness in technology adoption and use is vital in promoting technology diffusion and use in organisations. Various technology adoption models have been proposed to explain the adoption of technologies in different settings, such as organizational and individual, as well as in the voluntary and mandatory contexts. Recently, uptake of mobile phones in achieving organisational targets has been increased in developing countries and Tanzania in particular. This is due to the notable improvements in both hardware performance and sophistications. In organisation context, not all users are willing to use technology as required. In such circumstances, they are mandated to use it in order to fulfil their working duties. This leads to poor uptake of technology and results to unclear understanding regarding to their attitudes towards using it. While some studies have discussed the impact of voluntariness in using traditional desktop computer systems and thin client computing, mobile phone technology has not received the deserved attention. Discussing voluntariness in using mobile phone technology in organisations in relation to other technologies is essential especially due to its usage in both working and private purposes. This paper describes the voluntary aspects of using mobile phones in performing activities of the firms in Tanzania and compares it with desktop and thin client technologies. Also, it proposes possible ways of handling such situation in order to improve its use. Among others, the paper has analysed mandotoriness on usage of mobile technology. Further, it highlights key areas which should be addressed in order to improve the usage of mobiletechnology in organisations and eventually cover the gap caused by such mandatory situations.

The Impact of Mobile Phones on English Language Learning: Perceptions of EFL Undergraduates

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 264 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Mathew Nalliveettil ◽  
Talal Hail Khaled Alenazi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Advanced Country ◽  
Educational Value ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The Impact

Researchers across the world are examining the educational value and effectiveness of integrating the latest electronic gadgets with teaching-learning activities in the classroom. In spite of the availability of latest electronic gadgets like iPods, tablets, and smartwatches, researchers are more interested in the educational value of the mobile phones for the teaching-learning of English. In a technologically advanced country like Saudi Arabia, the third and fourth generation (3G, 4G) mobile devices are available at affordable prices, and people of all streams find it necessary to own a mobile phone for connecting with their friends and relatives.  Moreover, it has become a common trend among undergraduates to carry a mobile phone to the classroom as well. The present study examines the impact of mobile phones on students’ English language learning.  A field study was conducted on fifty-two undergraduate male students majoring in English language and literature at Aljouf University, Saudi Arabia.  The methodology of data collection included a self-report for students and a teacher questionnaire.   Findings of the study are significant for EFL teachers and researchers for introducing innovative methods and resourceful materials for the English classroom.

scholarly journals EXPLORATION OF MOBILE USERS WITH QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD AND OBJECTIVE AUDIOMETRY (OTOACOUSTIC EMISSION)

2020 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Daria Fedorchenko ◽  
Vyacheslav Didkovsky
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Otoacoustic Emission ◽  
Mobile Phone Use ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Objective Audiometry ◽  
Questionnaire Method ◽  
The Impact

Background: The main purpose of study was to assess the impact of using mobile phones among young Ukrainians (age 17-25) on auditory system. We conducted a study using anonymous questionnaires and with using a method of objective audiometry (otoacoustic emission). Finally, we compared our results with results of studies which were conducted in Sweden and Finland. Those studies were first among all the others with assessment of association between amount of mobile phone use and frequency of headache, tinnitus or hearing loss at 4-year follow-up. Methods: The participants were chosen among volunteers (n=251). All of them received anonymous questionnaires. We made stratified sample by age, sex, type of phone used, duration of phone calls, using of headphones during calls, symptoms appearing after using cell phone (headache, tinnitus, hearing loss). Results: The age of respondents was 17-25 years (32,3% - 22 years, 13,1% - 19 years, 12,4% - 20 years, 10,8% - 23 years., 8,4% - 21 years., 8% - 18 years, 7,6% - 17 years, 2,8% - 24р., 2,8% - 25 years). Due to this data the median age of participants was 22 years. Sex: female – 74.3%, male – 25.7%. Most of participants were using mobile phones (99.2%). 51.8% of respondents were always using headphones during phone calls, 8.8% - never used headphones during phone calls, 39,4% - were rarely using headphones during phone calls.  We assess the association between mobile phone use and appearing symptoms after phone calls. 3.6% of respondents reported a headache after phone calls, 96.4% were free of this symptom after phone calls. 58.2% reported headache at least once a week, 41.8% - were free of this symptom. 42.2% of respondents reported tinnitus: 1.6% reported tinnitus every day, 4.8% once in 2-3 days, 35.9% reported this symptom rarely (less than once a week). 57.8% of respondents were free of tinnitus. 21.5% of respondents reported hearing loss, 78.5% were free of hearing loss. Most of respondents associate headache with fatigue, sleep deprivation, stress, weather change, sleep disorders, arterial hypertension, hunger, frequent phone calls. Respondents who complained of hearing loss were offered to pass objective audiometry (optoacoustic emission).6 respondents took part in this examination. In 85 ears of respondents (71%) who complained of hearing loss it occurs on 8000 Hz. In 95 ears of respondents (79%) who complained of hearing loss it occurs on 5714 Hz. Pearson correlation coefficient between our results and results of Northern Europe studies was 0.935, suggesting a strong linear association.

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