The Internet is not widely available in many developing countries, but mobile phone access is on the rise, and wireless infrastructures hold promise as a platform for e-Government or “
m-Government,” as it is sometimes called. SMS messages can make m-Government especially affordable.
South Africa and
Hong Kong are exploring m-Government solutions.
Mobile kiosk-based e-Government solutions have also been implemented. One case widely cited is the Mobile SAC project in Brazil’s Bahia Province. Two large, 18-wheel trucks fitted with PCs visit some four hundred townships in Bahia and stay for three to four days in each site, providing services that include the issuance of birth certificates and identity cards.
m-Government Resources:
Mobile Government Lab.
Development Gateway, Resources on m-Government.
Emmanuel C. Lallana, “e-Government for Development: mGovernment Applications and Purposes Page” (2004).
“Wireless Networking in Developing Countries: A Practical Guide to planning and building low cost telecommunications infrastructure” 2006, Limehouse Book Print team.
Wireless Networks for the Developing World: The regulation and use of License-Exempt Radio Bands in Africa. Maria Isabel Neto, MIT, 2004.
The Wireless Report, Pages on Government.
eGov4Dev: m-Government: Mobile/Wireless applications in Government, 2004.
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