Cellphones for social change Highway Africa Mobile Technology & the future of Journalism : Cellphones for social change Highway Africa Mobile Technology & the future of Journalism Dr Peter Benjamin
Cell-Life
Slide2: Phenomenal growth of Cellphones / mobile tech
Applications of cellphones
Cellphones for HIV mobilisation
Slide3: Global Mobile Stats
Over 2.5 billion global mobile users
2 billion+ use GSM
800 million new phones sold in 2006
China 300m+ users
Africa
Huge growth everywhere
200m+ mobile users
Mostly GSM
Biggest markets South Africa (32m), Nigeria (27m), Egypt and Morocco
~ 88% prepaid
3G/3.5G high speed access in many countries
Data/SMS is 5% of network revenue
In SA: 2/3 of all in SA have a cellphone!
~ 3/4 of youth & adults Global Mobile Stats
Slide4: Phones now have WiFi, scanners, Bluetooth, TV, GPS, ‘iPods’ built in
New, Smart Cellphones = New Services
From Cellphones….
Slide5: Phones now have WiFi, scanners, Bluetooth, TV, GPS, ‘iPods’ built in
New, Smart Cellphones = New Services
To Smartphones
Slide6:
Music Downloads
Picture Downloads
Games
Competitions
Mobile TV
Interactive TV (eg Voting for Idols)
Banking via cellphone
Search Engines
Payment services etc
Market Research
Government services
Social Networking (MxIt, Facebook, MySpace etc)
Location Services
Yellow Pages
Tracking services
News alerts
Financial Info and Alerts
Mobile Services in SA M-Commerce (e-commerce+ via mobile)
Slide7: A 2005 study by the Centre for Economic Policy Research found increased rates of economic growth in developing countries with high mobile phone penetration.
Mobile communications is expanding economic opportunity for many who have been left out.
M-banking in Africa and parts of Asia is huge growth area identified by GSM Association and World Bank:
Provides banking services to non-banked in rural areas
Remittances by migrant workers to family
M-Psella (Kenya); Wizzit (SA); MTN Banking (SA); CellPay (Africa)
Market Reports
Pension schemes
Insurance
Economic Empowerment
Slide8: OneWorld UK, Mobile for Good,
Kenyan job finder via SMS launched in 2006
Subscribe to receive job listings and health info.
Support from the Vodafone Group Foundation
US$0.09 per SMS received.
Over 60,000 people have secured jobs
Up to 85% of local residents had access to mobiles through friends and family members.
Access community news postings and health information Economic Empowerment shareideas.org
Slide9: Money Flows Using PR ShortCodes WASP NGO Network Subscriber R10 = R5 + R1 + R4.00 Example: R10 Donations to an NGO
Slide10: HIV/AIDS education and awareness in India
“Freedom HIV/AIDS” created four free mobile games.
Safety Cricket features balls in the form of safety symbols such as condoms and a faithful partner.
Team members must protect themselves from risks such as infected syringes.
10 million game sessions downloaded.
In 2006 partnered with Hivos, NGO through "Africa Reach Program"
Adapted using local characters and stories for use in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Namibia. Health
Slide11: SEXINFO (San Francisco)
SMS to get a simple message to get information on sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, and how to effectively communicate with a partner.
Targets 12- to 24-year-olds
SMSs are written in a way that appeals to youth
“it’s ur choice to have sex or not get informed before u decide.”
Each response includes the contact information of a service agency Sexinfo (USA)
Slide12: Télécoms sans Frontières (TSF),
Humanitarian organization able to dispatch telecom experts anywhere in the world within 48 hours of a catastrophe.
TSF deployed to Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia after Tsunami
Provide UN, NGO, and government responders with reliable voice, Internet, fax, and video connections using satellite, WiFi, and GSM equipment.
TSF is supported by some of the biggest companies of the telecoms industry.
The Vodafone Group Foundation has been actively supporting TSF since 2002. Humanitarian Relief
Slide13: Cellphones used in election monitoring.
Monitor Referendum in Montenegro for irregularities; also in Kenya
Nigerian elections in April 2007
Network of Mobile Election Monitors (NMEM) Advocacy & Civic Engagement
Three well known facts of SA : Three well known facts of SA Highest number of HIV+ people in the world
One of the most unequal countries in the world – so most People Living With AIDS do not get adequate treatment & support
Best technical infrastructure in Africa, especially large cellphone usage
Massive potential to use ICTs, especially GSM cellphones, to directly provide communications & info services to People Living With HIV
Slide15: INFORMATION NEED:
“Treatment Literacy”, ARV access sites, counseling,
Nutrition, OI, sexual practice advice,
grants, childcare ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Slide16: INFORMATION PROVIDERS:
Soul City (TV drama, comics); Mindset (Sat TV);
LoveLife (billboards); Khomanani, HIV-911(callcentre);
DoH, UNAIDS, TAC, CHMT, dozens of NGOs INFORMATION NEED:
“Treatment Literacy”, ARV access sites, counseling,
Nutrition, OI, sexual practice advice,
grants, childcare ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Slide17: INFORMATION PROVIDERS:
Soul City (TV drama, comics); Mindset (Sat TV);
LoveLife (billboards); Khomanani, HIV-911(callcentre);
DoH, UNAIDS, TAC, CHMT, dozens of NGOs INFORMATION NEED:
“Treatment Literacy”, ARV access sites, counseling,
Nutrition, OI, sexual practice advice,
grants, childcare CELLPHONE MEDIATED INTERACTIVE CHANNEL
Potential Projects & Developments: Potential Projects & Developments Project not technology, but social usage
Link with other organisations:
Phoneshops, Telecentres,
TAC branches, Clinics … local support
Aim for “free at the point of use”
Use ‘Please call me’
Language (English, Nguni, Sotho, Afrikaans)
“MXIT for the masses”
Platform for HIV Community to communicate
Slide19: Mass Channel Info producers:
DoH, TAC, LoveLife,
Soul City, HIV-911,
CHMT …
Service providers:
Link to health system,
Counseling, Self-help,
welfare … Cellphone Mass Channel for
HIV Community TYPE OF SERVICES
Receive info
Interaction in organisation
Peer-peer / self-help chat
Wiki-type collaboration
Social network
Blog / vlog
…
Voice SMS GPRS J2ME WAP Video
Technology & functionality: Technology & functionality Ultimate aim: however people can use phone, they can use the system.
Tech: Voice, SMS, USSD, GPRS, WAP(2), video …
SMS FAQ of HIV (like Exact Mobile)
Chat & Counseling (MXIT, National AIDS helpline)
Location specific (nearest ARV clinic, VCT site …)
“Cut down video” via GPRS (Beat IT, Soul City)
Functionality (2) : Functionality (2) Organisational links
SMS reports from branches
TLP information
Extending democracy
“Narrowcasting”: demographic filter to specific audience
Survey tool directly of HIV+ people
Cellphone games (Soul City)
Functional issues (3): Functional issues (3) How cute can we get with voice (illiterate)?
Audio menus & downloads
Push-To-Talk
IVR
Text to Speech (CSIR)
In future:
WAP
Full video
Partners & issues : Partners & issues In discussion with:
Khomanani, DoH, Mindset, TAC, Soul City, CHMT, HIV-911, Christian AIDS Network, SABCOHA, AIDS Consortium, Soul Beat, National AIDS Helpline (LifeLine)
Year 1: 2 pilots
TAC in Western Cape
Unsure – rural, Steering Group to decide
Years 2 & 3: Wider rollout to national
Slide24: Corporates put the SELL into SELLPHONE
Slide25: Corporates put the SELL into SELLPHONE
Individual consumer services put the SELF into SELF-PHONES
Slide26: Corporates put the SELL into SELLPHONE
Individual consumer services put the SELF into SELF-PHONES
Mobile is …
Cellphone against sexual violence: Cellphone against sexual violence ¾ of all youth & adults have a cellphone
Cellphone could be pre-programmed to be a “panic button”
E.g. if emergency, press ‘9’ for 5 seconds
Sends a ‘Please call me’ (free) to system
Alerts police (location specific)
Calls women back (counselor or automatic)
Create 1,000s of ‘Rape-safe’ zones
Slide28: Corporates put the SELL into SELLPHONE
Individual consumer services put the SELF into SELF-PHONES
Mobile is …
MOBILISE
Slide29: Thank You! Peter Benjamin
Cell-Life
082 829 3353
peter@cell-life.org.za