Telecommunications Technologies: Deployment in Developing Countries

This paper examines some policies pursued in developing countries for the provision of telecommunications services in rural areas. These policies significantly differ from those typically implemented in developed countries in their fundamental objectives, the technological strategies deployed and the market and institutional environments they rest on. A review of some representative experiences suggests that thinking about public utility reforms in this part of the world is quite a challenging exercise. We point out some economic and institutional characteristics of these countries that we believe normative analysis of the reforms should explicitly take into accountTelecommunications; Developing Countries; Universal Access

Enhanced broadband access as a solution to the social and economic problems of the rural digital divide

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Green Cellular Networks: A Survey, Some Research Issues and Challenges

Energy efficiency in cellular networks is a growing concern for cellular operators to not only maintain profitability, but also to reduce the overall environment effects. This emerging trend of achieving energy efficiency in cellular networks is motivating the standardization authorities and network operators to continuously explore future technologies in order to bring improvements in the entire network infrastructure. In this article, we present a brief survey of methods to improve the power efficiency of cellular networks, explore some research issues and challenges and suggest some techniques to enable an energy efficient or "green" cellular network. Since base stations consume a maximum portion of the total energy used in a cellular system, we will first provide a comprehensive survey on techniques to obtain energy savings in base stations. Next, we discuss how heterogeneous network deployment based on micro, pico and femto-cells can be used to achieve this goal. Since cognitive radio and cooperative relaying are undisputed future technologies in this regard, we propose a research vision to make these technologies more energy efficient. Lastly, we explore some broader perspectives in realizing a "green" cellular network technologyComment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

The Impact of Universal Service Obligations and Other External and Cross Subsidies on Teledensity in Developing Countries

The failure to consider the complexity of the regional telecommunication systems in planning has increased the telecom gap between other regions and the rural sectors in the developing countries. Earmarked funds generated by Universal Service Obligations and various types of other direct and cross-subsidies have not helped this situation. This research uses system dynamics modeling approach to understand the complexity of the system and to evaluate how different policies affect telephone densities. It is demonstrated that some of the prevalent policies may be counterproductive. Policy experiments with the model demonstrate that market-clearing pricing implemented with Universal Service Obligations, and a value-added service combination may significantly improve rural telecommunications

An Evaluation of the Knight International Journalism Fellowships

Reviews the achievements of 2007-10 fellows, including government policy changes in response to reporting, networks and educational institutions created, and new funding leveraged; the projects' sustainability and attainment of goals; and lessons learned

Africa Economic Brief - Mobile Banking in Africa: Taking the Bank to the People

KEY ISSUES • Mobile telephony penetration in Africa has increased exponentially from less than 2 million subscribers in 1998 to over 400 million in 2009. • Mobile banking offers an opportunity to serve the “unbankedâ€: only 20 percent of African families have a bank account. • Mobile banking is staging a true “revolution†in access to finance. A mobile phone can serve as: a virtual bank card; a point of sale terminal; an ATM; an internet banking terminal. • Mobile banking offers more opportunities for partnerships between banks, non-bank financial institutions; mobile telephony enables MFIs and IFIs to increase access to finance, especially in rural areas for households and SMEs