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Alcatel-Lucent at the MDG Summit 2012, South Africa

M-learning: A powerful tool for addressing MDGs


Johannesburg, 04 May 2012

On the first day of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit, held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 3 May, Alcatel-Lucent Executive Vice-President, Gabrielle Gauthey, delivered a keynote address on the enabling effects of broadband and mobile technology on the MDGs - and then proceeded to address the audience in the afternoon on the importance of the nascent and exciting possibilities behind m-learning.

“We now have 6.6 billion mobile connections serving a population of seven billion persons, with a penetration rate of 80% in developing countries. Although these mobile connections already represent a significant opportunity, their evolution to mobile broadband connections will enable even richer content and services delivery on devices. The reduction in prices of smartphones and tablets, and the advent of the latest mobile technology (4G), are central to the proliferation of mobile broadband.

“Mobile broadband will revolutionise the lives of everyone, everywhere, bringing even more innovation in areas such as m-health, m-banking, m-education and m-government, which in turn will get us closer to achieving MDGs,” said Gauthey.

Gauthey then delivered another speech insisting on how powerful a tool m-learning can be for the MDGs. Mobile learning is still a nascent field (compared to m-health, for example) and for which much awareness needs to be raised. Many people still talk only about e-learning in the context of ICT and education, but the fact is, only an average of 25% of households in developing countries have a computer. In some countries, mobile phones are still forbidden in classrooms, so many have not realised yet what an amazing tool these devices can be for learning.

The possibilities of delivering education on mobile devices are very exciting. M-learning implies you can access education and learn “anytime” and “anywhere” (on a phone, a smartphone or a tablet, for example) since it means you are using mobile devices, which you carry with you generally at all times. M-learning is independent from fixed access infrastructure and is also accessible to many more.

India came out this fall, for example, with the Aakash tablet, which it is making available to students for $35. We stand at the verge of very exciting times in respect to how mobile broadband will enable many more to access education.

Please click here to read M-learning article at the MDG Summit.

Do not hesitate to contact Sherine Aziez, Communications Manager Africa, Alcatel-Lucent. E-mail: sherine.aziez@alcatel-lucent.com

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Sherine Aziez
Alcatel-Lucent
Sherine.Aziez@alcatel-lucent.com