Mobile Phones to help meet health needs in Brazil’s indigenous communities
The United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation have announced a new initiative to identify how a mobile technology can increase access to healthcare in Brazil’s indigenous communities.
Project partners include the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Brazilian Ministry of Health, who will lead an analysis of opportunities for mobile health (mHealth) programs to support the delivery of health information and services to indigenous communities in areas far removed from central health clinics and providers.
The research is now underway in Brazil, and the findings will be published this summer as part of a series of reports that identify how mobile technology can improve access to health information and services in remote and poor environments.
According to Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation, in many of the world’s most remote regions, mobile networks are now connecting communities to information and services at an unprecedented level, providing opportunities to deliver health benefits to traditionally under served populations. This collaboration with the Vodafone Foundation, PAHO and the Brazilian Ministry of Health will focus on one community to determine how wireless communications can be used to improve health outcomes in some of Brazil’s hardest to reach communities.
Brazil’s indigenous communities face many health challenges because of limited transportation infrastructure, a lack of proper equipment needed to transport vital vaccines and medical equipment, and the limitations of the paper-based health data collection systems that are still used in these communities.
According to Brendan Flannery of PAHO, during the past five years, they’ve seen an increase in routine immunization coverage of indigenous populations in Brazil, but it continues to hover under the national targets set by the National Immunization Program. The Brazilian Ministry of Health intends to use this study as a springboard for the integration of mobile technologies that strengthen health services in some of its most vulnerable communities.
According to Adele Waugaman, Senior Director of the UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation Technology Partnership, mobile technology can strengthen health systems by increasing the quantity, quality and timeliness of health data. By undertaking this targeted analysis to identify specific health information bottlenecks in one community before considering mobile solutions, the Brazilian Health Ministry will ensure it builds a mHealth program that can deliver maximum results and value for money.
Telstra achieves 149.4Mbps LTE speed
Telstra has completed the testing of Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile technology, completing a six month trial that demonstrated downlink speeds of 149.4Mbps.
Telstra’s six month test, started in May, was supported by Ericsson, Nokia-Siemens networks and Huawei and ran in 2.6GHz and 1.8GHz spectrums. While peak downlink speeds reached nearly 150Mbps, peak uplink speeds reached 59Mbps; altogether more than triple the speeds seen on current 3G technology.
According to a study by telecom analyst, Ovum, current network technology will be sufficient for the next five years, and LTE will only be adopted if “it makes good economic sense.
According to Huawei spokesperson, the trials gave them a chance to prove their infrastructure’s potential to Telstra. Huawei currently supplies WiMAX wireless broadband in Perth through provider, vivid wireless.
According to the spokesperson, operators like Telstra may adopt LTE technology, but it will have to wait two to three years as operators wish to make the most of their 3G network infrastructure before switching over.
Nokia Laptop (Booklet 3G) to sell for $299 in the US
Nokia’s Booklet3G, a Windows 7 based notebook computer will be sold in November through AT&T and Best Buy. It will be on offer for $299.99 with a 2 Year AT&T Data Connect plan.
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sleek, strong Windows 7-based mini-laptop hits Best Buy stores for 299.99 USD in time for the holidays
New York, NY, USA – Drawing upon its rich heritage and leadership in the mobile industry, Nokia is opening a new chapter in mobility with the introduction of the Nokia Booklet 3G to the U.S. together with AT&T, Best Buy and Microsoft. Developed for connectivity just about anytime and virtually anywhere, the Nokia Booklet 3G is refining what consumers can expect at the crossroads of mobility and the personal computer.
“Nokia understands mobility like no other company and recognizes that the most ‘powerful’ device is the one that doesn’t have you running for the power plug or network point” said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, president and CEO of Nokia. “By combining the Booklet’s sleek design, impressive features and competitive price together with the new Windows 7 operating system from Microsoft, AT&T’s nationwide 3G coverage and Best Buy’s unmatched national retail footprint, we believe we have a winning combination for U.S. consumers” (more…)
Mobile technologies can boost SMEs
Small businesses in this country are struggling to get to grips with advanced new mobile technologies, despite the advantages they offer, according to the latest findings of the Mobility 2006 research project.
This was among the key conclusions of a study conducted by World Wide Worx as part of its Mobility 2006 project, backed by FNB, Virgin mobile and Verizon Business. In the first phase of the project, entitled: “The impact of mobile technology on SMEs in SA 2006″, 1 152 SMEs were interviewed on their deployment and usage of mobile technologies. The findings reveal that SMEs are at a great disadvantage to large corporates in their ability to make new mobile technologies work for them.
More than half of SMEs, or 53% of respondents, felt they were advanced in their usage of common mobile technologies, like laptops and cellular phones. However, less than a fifth – only 17% of respondents – believed they were advanced in their usage of more complex technologies, like wireless networking and mobile broadband technology.
“We have only seen the start of the adoption of cellphone banking services by SMEs. The challenge will be for banks to design and offer services to SMEs that will give them access to the same services and functionality that big corporates currently have, but at an affordable cost,” says Len Pienaar, CEO of FNB Mobile and Transact Solutions.
Underlining the findings of the SME phase of the research, it was found that only 17% of SMEs who use mobile technologies were using wireless broadband services like 3G and MyWireless, and most respondents did not intend to change their connectivity habits in the next year.
“This emphasises a phenomenon we have come across in related research, which shows that SMEs are resistant to change and require a strong educational approach in any effort to sell new technology to them,” says World Wide Worx MD, Arthur Goldstuck.
It is expected that the next phase of the study, on corporate use of mobile technologies, will show that large organisations are dramatically more advanced in their use of mobile technologies. Preliminary data suggests that they are able to leverage these technologies to give themselves a competitive advantage over those who are at only a basic level of use.
These findings will be further explored at the Mobility 2006 conference in Johannesburg on September 14, which will also see the release of research into consumer usage of mobile technologies in SA, he adds.
“Corporate SA is embracing mobile and wireless technologies at a rapidly increasing pace, but small business is being left behind as the options become too complex and the choice too bewildering,” says Goldstuck, who will present the core findings of the SME and corporate phases of Mobility 2006. “We will address the key question of how the technology can be leveraged to ensure the benefit flows through to all.”
“As we have seen with consumers, whatever mobile service is offered to SMEs, it has to be easy to register for and simple to use,” concludes Pienaar.
Source- http://www.mybroadband.co.za
