Evaluating last-mile hazard information dissemination : a research proposal

This is a comprehensive and detailed report regarding implementation of a first-responders ICT strategy for emergency communication and disaster management in Sri Lanka. The project showed that ICTs can be incorporated into communities and form a critical infrastructure. However, from a technical perspective all ICTs used in the hazard information dissemination system (HazInfo Pilot) need upgrading to receive Complete Full-CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) messages before their use in the Last-Mile Communities of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan society is not used to working according to plans, nor adhering to concepts of deadlines. Disastrous weather events and ongoing civil conflicts are impediments to pilot project planning

Big data for development for the Global South : a research and policy agenda

Annex V for IDL-56905Big data for development (BD4D) requires greater attention to representivity, validation, and the minimization of harm, not only in terms of privacy, but also marginalization - as when large swaths of populations are excluded from analysis because their data are not analyzable. This paper begins the process of involving organizations from the global south in shaping BD4D research and policy agendas. The conception of (BD4D) research as some kind of magic bullet that would displace prior research methods is not defensible even as the idea gathers momentum. Group harms and harms to competition and innovation are also presented

Two complementary mobile technologies for disaster risk reduction through warning

Disaster risk reduction is a core function of government. It is possible to significantly improve this government function using mobile application and leveraging the explosive diffusion of the technology even among the poor in developing countries. Coordination within government, including communication to first responders responsible for evacuation and localized warnings, and communication to mass media who serve a critical function in public warning, can be achieved through the use of an SMS engine supplemented as necessary by an informative and robust website. Cell broadcasting can serve as an extremely useful addition to the conventional public warning methods, especially in countries with significant mobile penetration

Annex 14 : bulk data : policy implications (draft)

The term “bulk surveillance” is used to describe the collection and analysis of behavioral big data relevant to maintenance of law and order, broadly defined. Avoidance of detection by law breakers may be perceived as easier in virtual space when agents of the law are at a technological disadvantage. The focus of this paper is on the subset of big data known as transaction-generated data (also described as “data exhaust”) arising from the day-to-day behaviors of persons and the technological devices closely associated with them. What should the principles be with regard to bulk surveillance and uses of personal data

Next step for telecom regulation : ICT convergence regulation or multisector utilities regulation?

This paper critically examines the multiple rationales for telecom, IT, media (ICT) convergence regulation on the one hand, and multisector utility regulation on the other, and the practical questions of implementation they pose, with a view to contributing to informed policy and regulatory decisions that are now underway in many countries. The conditions that may affect the creation of convergence and multi-sector regulation, ranging from underlying commonality of inputs and the behaviour of regulated firms to considerations that are specific to the regulatory process such as scarcity of regulatory resources and safeguards for regulatory independence, are examined. The paper concludes that ICT and media convergence issues are primarily about improving the efficiency of market economies, and how changes in regulation can facilitate this process. It is likely to be of primary interest for countries that already have an established effective independent telecom regulator. Multisector regulation issues are primarily about establishing the efficiency and effectiveness of regulation so it can be a catalyst for network and economic development. It is likely to be of primary interest to countries that have not yet established effective telecom regulation. Each regulatory option arises from an initial diagnose of different problems, and represents different priorities and pathways to achieving a very similar set of development objectives

Understanding communities using mobile network big data CPRsouth 2015

Understanding the strength and boundaries of human connections can help identify communities amongst a population, and is valuable knowledge for modeling disease spread, information flow, and mobility patterns. Administrative boundaries, formed by history and geography, do not necessarily reflect the actual communities or social interaction patterns within a region. In this study we employ community detection algorithms to a mobile Call Detail Records (CDR) network in Sri Lanka in order to compare natural communities existing in the interaction network against administrative regions of Sri Lanka. Additionally we explore how these communities segment into a further level of sub-communities

Using mobile network big data for land use classification CPRsouth 2015

The traditional way of generating insights on land use involve surveys and censuses, which are both infrequent as well as costly. This paper explores the potential of leveraging massive amounts of human mobile phone data to understand the spatiotemporal activity of mass populations, and by extension, provide a useful proxy for activity-based classification of land use. Understanding and monitoring land use characteristics is critical for urban planning. The study demonstrates possibilities for use of mobile network big data, and how it can be leveraged to infer three distinct land use characteristics: commercial/ economic, residential, and mixed-use

Annex 15 : analyzing Facebook data to understand regional connectivity

Social network connectivity between nations potentially serves as a way of exploring networks of international communities, human movement and economic activity. This connectivity often appears to transcend governmental and political barriers (such as between India and Pakistan, for example). Initial exploratory analysis reveals that social network data does strongly correlate to trade and migration between countries, but not to the distance between countries. Some prospective challenges are also outlined for this study

Research, capacity-building, advocacy and dissemination by LIRNEasia : advancing evidence-based policymaking and regulation in the emerging Asia-Pacific to ensure greater participation in ICTs (Phase II); final technical report

Much of LIRNEasia’s research in this cycle is based on the idea that mobile phones will be the primary device through which the “bottom of the pyramid” (BOP) in emerging markets engages with the Internet, and tasks associated with the Internet such as information retrieval, payments and remote computing. In addition to this research and the CPRsouth programme, the project included capacity building among National regulatory agency (NRA) national statistical organization (NSO) staff and non-governmental, non-private sector actors who can influence policy reform processes. The purpose of this project was advancement of evidence-based policy making and regulation through an integrated program of research, capacity building and advocacy. Detailed project Appendices are included