The dominant narrative with regard to telefutures is of a "fat pipe" of coaxial cable, fiber, or even wireless means, coming into each household carrying entertainment and data (including Voice over IP). Accompanying this will be mobile devices capable of voice and data communication, information retrieval, and forms of entertainment consumption. In some cases, the vision of the mobile interface also has it provided by the owner of the fat pipe into the home; this is what is known as "quadruple play."
However, in emerging markets many households do not fit into the dominant narrative. A majority of the households in these markets, particularly those at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), do not currently have their own access paths to connect to interactive electronic networks, though most are connected to receive-only audio or audio-visual networks (e.g., radio, terrestrial TV, satellite TV, and in some urban slums, suboptimally designed cable TV). Research shows that the monthly spending on teleuse by these households will be in the range of $5-8 USD per month.
Within current technology and pricing parameters, it is clear that these households may not be able to afford more than mobile telephony and forms of advertiser-supported entertainment delivered over receive-only channels. Some argue that these kinds of households will use the communication, information-retrieval, and publication functions that are directly available to the fat-pipe-connected households in developed countries, but will access them through common-use access points or multipurpose telecenters.
However, an alternative narrative is emerging. Emerging markets (as a whole) have accounted for 85 percent of new connections today according to the GSM Association, with many getting connected to electronic networks for the first time through mobile phones rather than fixed phones. Mobiles are now (and will increasingly become) payment devices that can also send/process/receive voice, text, and images; depending on advances in interface design in particular they will also be capable of information-retrieval and publishing functions today associated with the Internet. This is 'Mobile2.0.'
As economic growth takes place, and economic constraints in the household lessen, they likely will gradually increase their communication-related spending, absolutely and as a proportion of their income. Will this go to paying for 'fat pipes' to connect their homes, or to incrementally increase the amounts paid for the communication services they currently consume or for investing in new terminal devices that will improve their communicative interactions?
Mobile2.0: Beyond Voice?, an ICA preconference being organized by LIRNEasia, will explore this emerging Mobile2.0 era -- bringing together evidence for and against this narrative in the context of the larger social-science understanding of mobile use behavior. The workshop intends to address issues thatwill contribute toward understanding emerging mobile use patterns, such as:
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Current trends in mobile connectivity and applications
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The potential of mobiles (and other ICTs) for bridging digital, gender as well as other socioeconomic divides
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Mobiles (and other ICTs) making markets more efficient
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Mobile as a platform for Mobile2.0 services (e.g., payment, banking, government, etc.)
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Policy and regulatory challenges for the new era of Mobile2.0
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Mobiles and social networking
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Mobile 2.0 and shared access comparisons between emerging and 'emerged' markets
The preconference workshop will take place May 20-21, 2009, in Chicago, Illinois; information on how you can register to attend the preconference will be made available closer to the date.
LIRNEasia (www.lirneasia.net) is an Asian ICT policy and regulation capacity-building organization based in Sri Lanka and active across the Asia Pacific. It is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, and has been since its inception in September 2004. For more information contact zainudeen[at]lirne[dot]net.
