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Bridging The Digital Divide Needs The Mobile Web

Andy Capp

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The MWI Helps Bridge The Digital Divide

The MWI Team blog should be required reading for anyone interested in how the mobile web is evolving. As Philipp Hoschka, Team Leader, wrote:

Mobile Web: The Promise
Unlike the traditional “wired” Web, the mobile Web will go where users go. No longer will users have to remember to do something on the Web when they get back to their computer. They can do it immediately, within the context that made them want to use the Web in the first place. With mobile devices, the Web can reach a much wider audience, and at all times in all situations. It has the opportunity to reach into places where wires cannot go, to places previously unthinkable (e.g., providing medical information to mountain rescue scenes) and to accompany everyone as easily as they carry the time in their wristwatches.

What may be seen as a “nice to have” extra facility in the developed world takes on quite a different emphasis in Developing Countries. That’s the theme of a post today by Stephane Boyera. As he points out, the overall idea behind the efforts on ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) is to find a cheap and scalable way to offer those services which are not physically existing or available to rural communities and under-privileged people.

He firmly believes that there is a need for specific work at W3C to help bridge the Digital Divide and improve the lives of the poorest. The mobile platform is the most promising option for now, and in conjunction with Web technology, it has the potential to make a big step ahead. Moreover, the existence of the W3C Mobile Web Initiative is an incredible chance to have all the involved actors commit to work together.

Let us hope his voice is heard.

Related: Crossing the Digital Divide on the Mobile Web

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 at 1:38 pm and is filed under Mobile. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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2 Responses to “Bridging The Digital Divide Needs The Mobile Web”

  1. Christina Niven Says:
    June 21st, 2007 at 11:27 am

    I’m glad you posted this. We tend to think of the mobile web as a toy for affluent teens and forget about its potential to educate and help the poor.

  2. Barry Welford Says:
    June 21st, 2007 at 11:52 am

    Thanks, Christina. .. but as Stephane Boyera points out, it’s going to need many powerful agents to get involved to make it happen.

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