The Smart Feature Phone Revolution in Developing Countries: Bringing the Internet to the Bottom of the Pyramid

Jeffrey James ()
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Jeffrey James: Tilburg University

Chapter Chapter 2 in The Impact of Smart Feature Phones on Development, 2020, pp 11-27 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Until recently, the only way for the population of developing countries to access the Internet was through expensive smartphones, designed in and for developed countries. In the past few years, however, a major new innovation has emerged, the smart feature phone with Internet connectivity, which was specifically designed for those with low incomes in developing countries. This chapter explains the development process for the smart feature phone, how this has influenced the nature and extent of adoption, and its use by low-income groups, including their demonstrated preference for uses related to entertainment rather than more traditional ‘work-related’ goals. The focus is on the case of India, where the JioPhone has already reached millions of people with low incomes.

Keywords: Poverty; India; The Internet; Mobile phone; JioPhone (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:spbchp:978-3-030-62212-1_2

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-62212-1_2

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