The impact of mobile phones on poverty and inequality in developing countries

Intro -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- 1 Introduction -- Abstract -- 1.1 The Diffusion of Mobile Phones to the Poor -- 1.2 The Impact of Mobile Phones -- Reference -- 2 The Diffusion of Mobile Phones in the Historical Context of Innovations from Developed Countries -- Abstract -- 2.1 The Rogers Diffusion Curve: Developed Versus Developing Countries -- 2.2 An Explanation -- 2.3 The Case of IT and Mobile Phones -- 2.3.1 Exceptions: Yet Another Curve -- 2.3.2 Leapfrogging -- 2.4 Conclusions -- References -- 3 To What Extent Are the Poor Engaged with Mobile Telephony? -- Abstract -- 3.1 Connections Versus Unique Subscribers -- 3.2 Direct Evidence -- 3.2.1 Asian Evidence -- 3.3 Affordability -- 3.3.1 The Price of Mobile Services -- 3.3.2 The Cost of Mobile Handsets -- 3.4 The Impact on Inequality -- 3.5 Conclusions -- References -- 4 A Pro-poor Bias: Leapfrogging and the Context -- Abstract -- 4.1 The Technology -- 4.1.1 Leapfrogging Characteristics of Mobile Phones -- 4.1.2 Mobile Phones as an Appropriate Technology -- 4.2 The Context -- 4.2.1 Network Effects -- 4.2.2 Sharing Mobile Phones -- 4.2.3 Prepayment -- 4.2.4 Rental Markets -- 4.2.5 Beeping -- 4.2.6 Mobile Banking -- 4.3 Conclusions -- References -- 5 Micro, Macro and Scaling-Up Effects -- Abstract -- 5.1 Micro-economic Effects -- 5.1.1 Macro-economic Effects -- 5.2 Scaling-Up Effects -- 5.2.1 Three Cases of Scaling-Up: Community Phone Shops, Grameen Telecom and M-PESA -- 5.3 Conclusions -- References -- 6 Patterns of Mobile Phone Use in Africa -- Abstract -- 6.1 Survey Method and Characteristics of Respondents -- 6.2 Results for Four Mechanisms of Mobile Phone Use -- 6.2.1 Economics-Related Mechanisms -- 6.2.2 Health-Related Mechanisms -- 6.2.3 Social Capital Mechanisms of Use -- 6.2.4 Safety-Related Mechanisms of Use -- 6.3 Cross-Tabular Analysis -- 6.4 Conclusions -- References.