Mobile Information Communication Technologies Adoption in Developing Countries: Effects and Implications

Now more than ever, the mobile technology field is growing with emerging research and new discoveries that expand to all walks of life. Mobile technology may have its greatest impact in the developing world, because it brings telephony to districts that had never been reached before. With the introduction of third generation mobile network services and the convergence of mobile and traditional internet services, Mobile will be one of the key enablers for achieving competitive advantages in developing countries.

Titled Mobile Information Communication Technologies Adoption in Developing Countries, the target audience of this book will be composed of researchers and professionals working in the field of mobile information and communication technology, investors, health care organizations, telecommuters, international traders and businessmen, students and their families, governments, bank managers, and economy as a whole.

The book contains three sections:
Section one: M-technology and communications,
Section two: M-technology applications and,
Section three: M-technology: Economic and social effects

Section one ‘M-technology and communications’ contains four chapters, first chapter entitled “The Critical Mass of Wireless Communications: Differences between Developing and Developed Economies”, by Kaisu Puumalainen, Lauri Frank, Sanna Sundqvist, and Anni Tuppura. It identifies and analyzes the timing and level of critical mass in the development of market penetration for wireless communications. The findings suggest considerable differences between developing and developed countries. The second chapter entitled “The Competitive Growth Pattern of Mobile Telecommunications in Korea”, by Moon-Soo Kim and Sungjoo Lee. Through the empirical study on Korean mobile market, the authors investigate not only the effects on demand diffusion patterns by the competition between technologies and operators, but also strategic implications for the service providers and the policy-makers.

The third chapter entitled “Mobile information communication technologies and construction project management – Indian scenario: case study” by Vanita Ahuja. This chapter presents a case study of mobile communications adoption at a major construction project in India and further discusses the factors leading to sustainable mobile communication adoption by construction project teams. The fourth chapter entitled “Requirements Engineering in the ICT4D Domain” by Kristina Pitula, Daniel Sinnig and Thiruvengadam Radhakrishnan. The authors propose a requirements management process especially suited for ICT4D projects. The process supports both bottoms-up and top-down development.

Section two ‘M-technology applications’ contains six chapters. The first chapter entitled
“In Defence of Mobile Technologies: Exploring the Socio-Technological Dimensions of M-Learning” by Ayse Kok, The aim of this chapter is to improve understanding of the expanding use of mobile phones for the delivery of the learning experience in developing countries. The second chapter entitled “Mobile Learning in China”, by Yuqin Yang and Qiyun Wang. In this chapter; the authors present an overview of the development of m-learning in China, including the construction of m-learning infrastructure, and research projects conducted by universities and companies.

The third chapter entitled “Blended Mobile Learning in Developing Nations and Environments with Variable Access: Three Cases” by Susan Smith Nash. The author presents an overview of the experience of implementing mobile technology solutions in developing nations in conditions of limited Internet access, challenging logistics, and informal learning settings. The fourth chapter entitled “Mobile Technologies and Rich Media-expanding tertiary education opportunities in developing countries” by Trish Andrews, Robyn Smyth, Belinda Tynan, Andrew Berriman, Deborah Vale and Richard Caladine. This chapter focuses on the emerging possibilities and issues arising from the rapid adoption of mobile technologies for learning in tertiary and higher education contexts in developing countries. In particular, it explores the implications for developing nations of the rapid proliferation of mobile device.

The fifth chapter entitled “The Role of M-Government in Western China Development”, by Jesper Schlæger. This chapter describes the content of ideas, institutions, and technologies of m-government to understand how fitting these levels, has led to such an improvement in governance. The sixth chapters entitled “Exploring civil servant resistance to m-government: A story of transition and opportunities in Turkey”, by Ronan de Kervenoael, Mark Palmer, and N. Meltem Cakici. Drawing on the resistance and mobility literature, this chapter investigates how civil servants’ behaviours, in an emerging country technological environment, through their everyday practice, react and resist the influence of m-government transition.

Section three ‘M-technology: Economic and social effects’ contains six chapters. The first chapter entitled “Mobile Telephony and Economic Growth in Developing Economies”, by Heli Virta, Kaisu Puumalainen, and Anni Tuppura. The chapter investigates the influence of mobile phone penetration on economic growth in developing economies. The results suggest that extensive mobile cellular network coverage facilitates economic development in developing countries. The second chapter entitled “Understanding Mobile Phone Usage While Driving: Mini-Bus and Taxi Drivers’ Experiences in Istanbul” by Ronan de Kervenoael and Canan Devletkusu. This chapter claims that dominant dangerous behavior in the absence of enforced legal framework is being deployed and has become routine for many m-users. This chapter adopts a qualitative case study approach (20 cases) to examine the public transport drivers’ motives, logic and legitimacy processes.

The third chapter entitled “Mobile Technology and the Gulf Society: Perception and Attitude”, by Khaled Sabry, Ahmed Al-Nakeeb, and Khalid Alrawi. This chapter reviews and explores mobile technology growth in the Gulf region with particular focus on the use of mobile phones in the UAE. It further explores, through a snapshot survey, people’s perception, attitude, and possible implications of the technology on their behavior. The fourth chapter entitled “BlogWall: Promoting Social Communication through Mobile Technology in Sri Lanka”, by Adrian David Cheok, Owen Noel Newton Fernando, Nimesha Ranasinghe, Kening Zhu, and Chamari Edirisinghe. Taking into account the speedy progress of the mobile technology, especially the SMS, the evolution of the Sri Lankan way of living the authors explore the possibility to use mobile technology, especially SMS (Short Message Service), to promote social interactivity in Sri Lankan community using Blogwall system.

The fifth chapter entitled “The Role of Information Communication Technologies within the field of Communication for Social Change”, by Jan Servaes. The author indicates that there is a lot of talk about the ‘newness’ of mobile and wireless information and communication technologies (ICTs) these days. What is so ‘new’ about them? And in what way will they solve the still unresolved problems of poverty, inequality and information divides in the world? This chapter takes a bird’s eye perspective and presents a number of observations regarding the role of ICTs within the field of Communication for Development and Social Change (CDSC). The last chapter entitled “Health Hazards of Mobile Information Communication Technologies” by Sohayla Attalla. The author states that in this age, it is very difficult not to have technology. But with technology, come certain hazard Inhabitants living nearby mobile phone base stations are at risk for developing neuropsychiatric problems and some changes in the performance of neurobehavioral functions either by facilitation or inhibition. Therefore, revision of standard guidelines for public exposure to RER from mobile phone base station antennas and using of NBTB for regular assessment and early detection of biological effects among inhabitants around the stations are recommended.

The diverse coverage of mobile information communication technologies adoption in developing countries in this book will contribute to a better understanding of all topics, research, and discoveries in this developing, significant field of study. Furthermore, the contributions included in this book will be fuelling the research initiatives in emerging fields. We hope that you will find the discussion about present day reality and future challenges of mobile information communication technologies adoption in developing countries as useful as we hope it to be.