Mobile Communications Power to the People or Pathway to Destruction ?

The use of mobile communications for the shaping of society is not new. Throughout history, mobile communications has played a fundamental role in our development. The Egyptian God Thoth is accredited as being the winged messenger who invented script as a means of communication and it was Thoth who had the power to ensure that the wishes of Ra were carried into effect. This is the first example of global governance made possible by mobile communications ! The printing press was a quantum leap in mobile communications technology because, for the first time, information could be transported en mass and delivered to the individual. The emergence of the popular press and better education led to massive dissemination of knowledge and ideas, shaping of opinions and building commerce. The lesson to be drawn from history is that all quantum leaps in social and economic development have been driven by advances in communications technology. Each advance brings with it increases in human interaction and, most significantly, commerce and consumption of resources. In the past, most advances in communications have been based on a broadcast model, with citizens being consumers of information and therefore largely "governed" by those in control of the technology. Today's mobile communications technology is fundamentally different to any previous quantum leap, because it places the power to communicate in the hands of the individual citizen and shifts the balance between consumer and producer. We are moving towards a situation where technology will empower individual citizens to communicate with anyone, anything, anytime, anywhere. This empowerment of the individual citizen is not universal and we have a responsibility as individuals and collectively to ensure that this new age does not herald the destruction of the human race. There is already strong evidence to indicate that the effects on society by such individual empowerment are a threat to sustainability and stability (as evidenced by the recent events in New York). The disenfranchised in society now have the tools to cause dramatic, global and unpredictable impact. In summary, the visible effects of citizen empowerment in the network society are :- · Disintermediation (Cutting out the middle man) in all aspects of life · Flattened organisational structures and "forced" equality · Greater consumption · More independence · Breakdown in loyalty and affiliation In many countries mobile communications are seen as being the key to access to the information age. It may probably not have happened by chance that Finland - a country in which bridging large distances is necessary - became a pioneer in mobile communications applications. The possibility of leap-frogging the technology telecommunications chain has led to fairly rapid build-out of some amount of wireless network in most countries, albeit with varying quality and coverage. That growth has, in turn, supported price declines, but the current costs of network deployment, equipment and service all continue to pose serious access problems for most of the world's population still lacking telecommunications access. Although the initial investment costs for wireless networks is high, they can usually be operational in less time than wired networks, bringing a quicker return on investment, and therefore targeted local, regional or sector deployment has been an important tool in developing countries e.g. the rapid growth of mobile phones in China. Because the initial investment cost is a barrier for the poorest countries, it is important to engage the mobile communications industry in dialogue to persuade it to downsize its engineering and deployment costs so that the technology can play a full role in bringing economic, educational and health care benefits to those currently without access. However, even if we are able to successfully make mobile communications accessible and affordable for the world's poorest nations, we have to recognise that the current development and application of mobile communications may well be inappropriate for resource poor areas of the world, and for society as a whole. There are some positive examples of mobile communications applications for community development in such countries, including :- · The Simputer - a low cost portable alternative to PCs, by which the benefits of IT can reach the common man. It has a special role in the third world because it ensures that illiteracy is no longer a barrier to handling a computer. · Transportable community media centres such as the Greenstar project which is solar powered and has satellite communications links. It brings opportunities for local people to promote indigenous crafts via the internet. · Community radio accessible via devices such as the "clockwork" radio in regions where there is no electric power available. On the negative side, there are some worrying examples of mobile communications technology being used for collective action by groups seeking to impose their will on society, in particular the use of text messaging for :- · Citizen protests against UK fuel prices, French farming policy, and WTO meetings. · Organised crime and football hooliganism · Terrorism In summary, mobile communications technology is presenting challenges to a sustainable global society. It is creating the so-called digital divide and a series of potential imbalances, including :- · Citizen empowerment vs social responsibility · Value vs cost · Culture of Inter-dependence vs individual independence · Consumption vs preservation of resources · Free market vs intervention These are very complex issues which require a balanced approach to policy in many areas. Some development standards in communications technology may be "setting in stone" the future. IPv6 is one such example. The following are some ideas which may need to be considered as options for a sustainable future :- · Access to communications as a fundamental human right · Communications tariffs which provide free local communications and charge by distance (as a means of encouraging local development) · Netizen unique ID linked to DNA profile as a form of security · Citizen contract with society · Global Positioning System device tracking embedded in mobile communications devices · Policies focused on sustainable local community networks. These are not prescriptions to guarantee our future. Many will be highly contentious in a "free" society but it is fairly certain that the will need to be debated by the emerging three-cornered partnerships in society involving private, public and civic sectors. David Wortley Mass Mitec CPSR The White House 38 Main Street Lubenham Market Harborough LE16 9TF E-Mail: dwortley@massmitec.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1858 410366 Fax: +44 (0)1858 434653

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