- Mobile for Development growth has accelerated since 2009 as mobile ownership has increased to over 40% across the developing world (or around 600 million new people using mobile over the last 3 years)
- Despite this, scale has generally proved elusive in the absence of defined value chains, sustainable business models and market visibility
- This is not for want of trying or lack of interest; indeed, the sector enjoys a large and growing stakeholder group which currently numbers over 600 different organisations ranging from mobile operators to social investors to entrepreneurs to government
- While a large stakeholder group is encouraging and necessary from a long term investment and growth perspective, it means there are different and often competing incentives and objectives at play for investing in M4D, which can drive fragmentation
The Mobile for Development (M4D) sector has attracted much in the way of publications, research and commentary owing to its growth and dual opportunity for socio-economic improvement combined with good business. As a thought leader cutting across the sector, Mobile for Development Intelligence serves the entire stakeholder group of mobile operators, vendors and entrepreneurs, international development organisations, social investors, government and regulators, and the academic community. As such, we have designed this report to address less the sector itself, and more the stakeholders serving it. We begin by overviewing broad stakeholder involvement and the conflicting objectives and incentives, before discussing each stakeholder in turn (see contents) and commenting on the outlook for collaboration.
This document was originally produced as part of the former Mobile for Development Impact programme.