News

June 15, 2015

Until mid-2011, Myanmar was very much closed off from the rest of the world. As the government continues to liberalize media and open up telecommunications markets, mobile phone use is skyrocketing across many parts of Myanmar. The country is on pace to make a giant leap in the digital divide, with mobile penetration rates expected to jump from about 4% in 2014 to 80% by the end of this year. For many in Myanmar, using a mobile phone marks their first experience with the internet and digital technology, not to mention having a wealth of information at their fingertips, which is a far cry from the once heavily censored and government-controlled media environment.

February 7, 2013

Mobile phone use is soaring, especially in developing and transitioning countries. What does the dramatic increase in mobile use — and particularly mobile Internet use — mean for public access venues? Do mobile phones replace public access to computers and the Internet in venues such as libraries, cybercafes, and telecenters? If you have the Internet in your pocket, why do you still use public access ICTs? As part of the Global Impact Study of Public Access to Information and Communication Technologies, researchers in South Africa set out to answer these questions and more. The full research report and research brief are now available.

November 19, 2012

The Global Impact Study is pleased to announce the release of the Mobile Internet in-depth studyresearch report, Public access, private mobile: The interplay of shared access and the mobile Internet for Teenagers in Cape Town. Led by Marion Walton of the University of Cape Town and Jonathan Donner of Microsoft Research India, this study assesses and describes the interplay between public PC-based Internet access and private mobile-based access for urban teenaged public access venue users in Cape Town.