The Impact of Smart Feature Phones on Development
Description
This novel book, motivated by the recent introduction of a major innovation in information technology, explores the possibility of the Internet being made available to millions of poor people in developing countries, who are not yet connected. The new technology, known as a smart feature phone, is based on open-source software and otherwise designed for a low-income population. The purpose of this book is to examine the origins, spread and impact of this innovation. Much attention is paid to literacy and digital skills, which determine the benefits that are actually derived.
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Jeffrey James was until recently Emeritus Professor of Development Economics at Tilburg University (The Netherlands). Prior to that, he worked at Boston University (USA) and Oxford University (UK). His primary research interest is in information technology and development. He has conducted field research in East Africa and Latin America. James has written or edited various books and numerous peer-reviewed articles.
Content
- Intro
- Acknowledgements
- Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 1.1 Smart Feature Phones
- 1.2 Literacy, the Second Divide and User Choices
- Appendix: A Word on Method
- References
- Part ISmart Feature Phones and Development
- 2 The Smart Feature Phone Revolution in Developing Countries: Bringing the Internet to the Bottom of the Pyramid
- 2.1 The Genesis of the Smart Feature Phone
- 2.2 The Diffusion of Smart Feature Phones
- 2.3 The Impact of Smart Feature Phones
- 2.4 Conclusions
- References
- 3 Smart Feature Phones and Welfare in Poor Developing Countries
- 3.1 Economic Mechanisms
- 3.2 Smart Feature Phones and Other Dimensions of Poverty
- 3.3 Localisation and Relevance of Internet Content
- 3.4 The Linguistic Divide, Smart Feature Phones and the Poor
- 3.5 The Lack of Digital Skills, Countervailing Policies and the Poor in Developing Countries
- 3.6 Conclusions
- References
- 4 Extending the Experience to Sub-Saharan Africa
- 4.1 Introduction
- 4.2 Affordability
- 4.2.1 Device Price
- 4.2.2 Data Affordability
- 4.2.3 Income Affordability
- 4.3 Local Content
- 4.4 Digital Skills
- 4.5 Conclusions
- References
- Part IIDigital Skills and Digital Paradoxes
- 5 Measuring the Second Digital Divide: Education and Skills
- 5.1 Measuring the Original Conception of the Digital Divide
- 5.2 Recognition and Measurement of the Second Digital Divide
- 5.3 The Crisis in Learning
- 5.4 Measuring the Digital Skills Component of the Second Digital Divide
- 5.5 The Second Digital Divide and the Sustainable Development Goals
- 5.6 Conclusions
- References
- 6 Anti-development Bias in the Use of the Internet in Developing Countries. What Underlies It?
- 6.1 The Evidence
- 6.2 Discussion
- 6.3 Information Imperfections and Patterns of Internet Use
- 6.4 Causes of Scarce Digital Knowledge in Developing Countries
- 6.5 Knowledge Imperfections and Preferences for Internet Use
- 6.6 Policy Implications
- 6.7 Summary and Conclusions
- References
