Report: How Wireless Has Impacted Global Social Change

In conjunction with International CTIA Wireless 2012, which ends today in New Orleans, a report released by BSR and commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association shows wireless products and services “are a powerful agent of social change that allow billions of people around the world with anytime, anywhere access.”

Socioeconomic Impacts of Wireless Technology cites case studies and uses regarding the adoption of, and trends in, wireless-enabled applications for the following verticals:? ?

>> Mobile Finance – Around the world, there are billions of “underbanked” or “unbanked” people. Thanks to wireless technology, they have access to market information and banking services so they receive a fair price for their goods and services while protecting their money. ??
>> Mobile Health (mHealth) – From remote monitoring to disease management, wireless technology is helping to improve healthcare outcomes and address the healthcare worker shortage. In the United States, chronic disease treatment costs more than $1.4 trillion each year, but by using mHealth, there could be a savings of more than $21.1 billion per year.??
>> Mobile Education – By using mobile technology, interactive learning may happen at any time and virtually anywhere. Technology-based instruction can reduce the time it takes students to reach learning objectives by between 30 percent and 80 percent. ?
>> Community Empowerment – Wireless technology empowers citizens around the world to create and to interact with their communities and the world; to hold their political leaders accountable; and to organize for social, political and economic change.

Of course, the spectrum crunch is part of this report. ? ?

“The wireless industry has already revolutionized the way we communicate, and we’re now seeing how it’s improving almost every other industry by making them more productive and efficient. It’s changing peoples’ lives for the better all over the world,” says Steve Largent, president/CEO at CTIA. “In order to continue the great innovations that Americans and the rest of the world have come to expect from the U.S. wireless industry, our members must have access to spectrum so they may continue to create new products and services that will benefit individuals in developing and developed countries.” ?

To read the report in its entirety, click here.