The Social and Economic Implications of

Mobile Telephony in Rwanda

Jonathan Donner

Presentation : Anousha Fluck

Rwanda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lOSL1KyeG0

Digital Divide• Jan van Dijk and Kenneth Hacker (2003) distinguish

four barriers to access to digital services.

• Lack of elementary digital experience

• No possession of computers and network connections

• Lack of digital skills

• Lack of significant opportunities -> In the case of Rwanda there is a lack of usage access.

• http://vis4.net/blog/posts/mapping-internet-and-population/

Beeping by Donner

• Mobile’s feature is connectivity. The benefits are both positive economic and social changes.

• powerful technique to maximize the benefits of a mobile whilst minimizing money expenditure

• In Rwanda users have taken this to next level by diversifying this practice. There are three kinds of beeping

• Call back

• Pre-negotiated instrumental

• Relational

• allowing users to feel connected.

• It is a “phatic communication” signaling the existence of a relationship or communication channel.

• mobiles are rewriting the spatial and temporal constraints of all manner of human communications – whether for working family, or recreation and entertainment

• http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/27/tech/mobile-culture-usage/index.html

Discussion

• 1. Form groups 2. discuss with class

• When you wake up in the morning how long is it until you use your mobile or Internet?

• How would you feel if your mobile and Internet was taken off you for 3 days?

• Do you think you could organize your life without your mobile?

• Choose one question and

• Tweet #MDIA5003 your answer

• Bibliography:•

• Donner J,(2006), The Social and Economic Implications of• Mobile Telephony in Rwanda: An Ownership/Access Typology, Kowledge, Technology, & Policy, 2006, vol.19, No.2,pp.17-28•

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• Donner, J (2007), The rules of beeping: Exchanging messages via international “missed calls” on mobile phone, Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 1.http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/donner.html

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• Jan van Dijk & Kenneth Hacker (2003): The Digital Divide as a Complex and Dynamic Phenomenon, The Information Society: An International Journal, 19:4, 315-326

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• Aisch, G , ‘Visualiziing the Global Digital Divide by Mapping Internet and Population’, 21/10/2011,accessed 5/10/2012, http://vis4.net/blog/posts/mapping-internet-and-population/

• our bibliography should look something like this – LastName, FirstName.(Month Day, Year).'Title of the Article' Retrived Month Day, Year from the website: http://www.abcde.com

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• TheVJMovement, ‘Rwandan Farmers Empowered by Mobile Access to Market Prices’, April 12, 2011, accessed 4/10/2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lOSL1KyeG0

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• Canton N, 20120, ‘Cell phone culture: How cultural differences affect mobile use’, September 28, 2012, accessed 4/10/2012,http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/27/tech/mobile-culture-usage/index.html