Making connections

TECHNOLOGY: Making connections

INTRODUCTION

ICT has the ability to make new connections for people and societies. In the process, it can substitute carbon-intensive travel for more virtual alternatives, bridging the digital divide, and facilitating education, social inclusion and health care. Here are a few examples of where Ericsson is putting the most advanced technology into practice.

e-commerce:

Micro-payments using mobile phones open opportunities for people in the middle and lower levels of the income pyramid. Ericsson’s pre-paid solutions enable airtime transfer of financial transactions and are increasingly being used by mobile subscribers as a virtual currency. This approach to monetary inclusion stimulates economic growth.

e-government:

Increases transparency of government functions, with greater efficiency and a stronger relationship between citizens and government. In 2006, Ericsson announced that it is supplying an optical-cable network to connect all households, institutions and companies in Bolý, Hungary, population 3,500, to a broadband network. This will enable future applications like e-government, telecommuting, e-learning and remote health care for the benefit of local communities.

e-health

Delivers better patient care, streamlines doctor's administration and reduces health care costs. Ericsson launched a nation-wide system to electronically manage health care data in Croatia in 2006.

e-learning

Enhances inclusive learning. In 2007, Ericsson will cooperate with Stanford University to explore the use of mobile technology to provide environmental education for university students in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Internet connection for all

Internet connection for all mobile broadband speeds equal to those on a fixed line can be provided cost efficiently and easily to those living in rural areas. Ericsson has delivered a WCDMA/HSPA network to Telstra in Australia, covering 98 percent of the population, providing high-speed Internet connectivity to everyone, including farmers in the outback. The South African operator MTN has used its HSPA delivered by Ericsson to provide an Internet café with broadband speeds in a poor township, enabling easy access to job sites.

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