Hopp i P1 is a science programme about things that have improved. This series will tell stories of increased literacy, how violence is decreasing, blue whales recuperating from near extintion, the effects of solar energy on ordinary life and how ICT brings change in devoloping countries.
The first programme, told stories on how mobile phones are contributing to making the world a better place. Spider’s director Kerstin Borglin was interviewed, talking about technology optimism in East Africa.
Over 7 billion mobile subscriptions world-wide enables access for most
There are over 7 billion mobile subscriptions in the world. 3/4 of the world’ population has access. 400 million still live outside cellular signal range. (These numbers are from Digital Dividends, World Development Report 2016). With such a great penetration rate, mobiles can be used in a number of innovative ways for inclusion and to create access to a number of services that have been previously only for a selected few.
An example is how mobile payment systems, one of the first and most famous ones is Kenyan m-Pesa, gives access to a digitial finance system to persons that have been excluded from the banking system.
Mobiles in Spider projects
Mobiles are a realtively affordable piece of technology. They also need much less power than a computer, which helps when electricity is scarce and unreliable.
Spider has supported projects where citizens can report Human Rights violation through SMS in Tanzania. In Cambodia, interactive voice response systems have been used to improve the health of both diabetes patients and expecting mothers and their children.