TOBY SHAPSHAK: Mobile money will drive digital inclusion and connectivity
Even though mobile ownership has boomed, how do you redefine digital inclusion and enhance people’s lives?
Mobile phones may be ubiquitous but technology still has a long way to go to reach everyone, especially in emerging markets, and digital skills are still lacking. These were pervasive themes at this year’s Mobile World Congress, now called MWC Barcelona. "Technology [in general] is changing very fast … [it] has become an enabling power," Huawei deputy chair Ken Hu told the FM. But "digital technology is just one form of technology", he said in an exclusive briefing on the new issue of "digital inclusion". Many people have mobile phones but the question is: how will they use the internet to better their lives? "Technology has become an enabling power," he said. "We were talking five or 10 years ago about the digital divide and how to get everyone a phone. Now a mobile has become a fundamental element for any social development." How can this be made more inclusive? Hu cited EU statistics showing "20% of the population don’t have digital skills and only half have very basic skills". T...
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