Posts Tagged: "Brookings Center for Technology Innovation"

The Impact of Mobile Technology on Emerging Economies

In order for mobile technology to provide the data and services that rural communities need, a wireless spectrum for commercial use must be put in place. Issues regarding wireless spectrum came up a few times throughout the first panel, both from questioner Brooks Boliek of Politico as well as from audience questions. Bold, a representative of Qualcomm, declined to speak about the American wireless spectrum auction administered by the U.S. Federal Commission, which began in the middle of November. However, he did state that countries taking a stand to free up more spectrum for commercial use were the ones showing the most economic gains from mobile technology. “Spectrum is the real estate that [the mobile tech] industry is built on,” Bold said. “The countries that make the tough decision to free up spectrum, those are the countries that get the investment… and the ones that, quite frankly, are doing better.”