Mobile communications marks a technological shift in traditional communication given the popularity of advanced communication devices and the decentralized infrastructure network behind them. For example, mobile technology is playing an increasingly important role in the preparedness and quick response of emergency units when attending to natural disasters that strike in different parts of the world, thereby increasing the reach and effectiveness of an emergency response team when first learning about a disaster and subsequently calling others for help.
The introduction of mobile communication technology has had its largest impact in the developing world where the traditional landline telephone infrastructure was largely underdeveloped, which lead to sparse and unreliable service. Advances in satellite technology have made it possible for mobile phone service to reach just about every corner of the world where satellite transmissions can be received. Moreover, small business owners in many communities globally have made the decision to run their businesses exclusively through the use of mobile communication technologies, which are often more accessible and inexpensive compared to traditional phone technologies within rural areas. Text messaging, also known as Short Message Service (SMS), has become one of the most common ways of communicating throughout the world. In places where mobile phone calls are more expensive, text messaging is a cheap and effective alternative to communicating with others via mobile communication technology. The cost of messaging and talking to people wirelessly is significantly lower than traditional phone use (generally speaking) given that only a minimal amount of infrastructure is required to support widespread usage. For example, mobile phones opposed to traditional landline telephones do not require the installation of phone cables across long stretches of land, which can be very expensive and environmentally damaging. Beyond their impact on individual members of the global community, mobile phones are playing an important role in the transmission of vital information during many local and global protests and social movements. For example, text messaging played a major role in a number of large protests, from the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle, to protests of a million Filipinos against President Estrada, to a series of anti-Japanese protests in China in 2005. In China in particular, news of the protests was censored from government-controlled media, which included mobile phone calls, leaving text messaging as one of the only forms of communication available. The use of text messages to aid and assist the communication of information for the purposes of protest is commonly referred to as smart mobs.
The introduction of mobile communication technology has had its largest impact in the developing world where the traditional landline telephone infrastructure was largely underdeveloped, which lead to sparse and unreliable service. Advances in satellite technology have made it possible for mobile phone service to reach just about every corner of the world where satellite transmissions can be received. Moreover, small business owners in many communities globally have made the decision to run their businesses exclusively through the use of mobile communication technologies, which are often more accessible and inexpensive compared to traditional phone technologies within rural areas. Text messaging, also known as Short Message Service (SMS), has become one of the most common ways of communicating throughout the world. In places where mobile phone calls are more expensive, text messaging is a cheap and effective alternative to communicating with others via mobile communication technology. The cost of messaging and talking to people wirelessly is significantly lower than traditional phone use (generally speaking) given that only a minimal amount of infrastructure is required to support widespread usage. For example, mobile phones opposed to traditional landline telephones do not require the installation of phone cables across long stretches of land, which can be very expensive and environmentally damaging. Beyond their impact on individual members of the global community, mobile phones are playing an important role in the transmission of vital information during many local and global protests and social movements. For example, text messaging played a major role in a number of large protests, from the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle, to protests of a million Filipinos against President Estrada, to a series of anti-Japanese protests in China in 2005. In China in particular, news of the protests was censored from government-controlled media, which included mobile phone calls, leaving text messaging as one of the only forms of communication available. The use of text messages to aid and assist the communication of information for the purposes of protest is commonly referred to as smart mobs.
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