Global Wire Books is pleased to release today its annual report “The State of International Communications 2015.” This is an assessment of how 600 previous and current GWA clients view trends in information and communications technology (ICT) and social innovation. More affordable smartphones, tablets and computers have come onto the world market, making technology more accessible to all. Nonetheless, cost prohibitive broadband and poor access to electricity continues to create barriers for many in the developing world.
“Mobile technology has become a double-edged sword,” said Talia Whyte, managing director of Global Wire Associates. “More people can get an iPhone or Android, but getting an affordable data package or even access to electricity to charge a mobile can still be limited to a small number of people.”
The report also shows that while print media and postal mail for accessing information is in rapid decline in the Western world, they remain popular resources in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Shortwave radio is still an important communications tool in the developing world, while most survey participants in Western countries use Internet radio.
“Old communications tools are just as important as new media,” says Maria Ferrara, research and development director for Global Wire Associates. “Radio will always play a vital role in how we communicate for the immediate future.”
Technological disparities among women in developing countries continues to widen the digital divide, and the majority of our participants in all regions agree that governments are doing more to make sure that ICT tools are accessible to all populations equally.
The State of International Communications 2015
Price: US$15.99
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Note: All GWA partnering organizations will receive a complimentary hard copy of the report during our UN Week activities in New York City and an electronic version by email today. Everyone else can buy the electronic version here.
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