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A UN report has stated that because of mobile phones and internet access the gulf between rich and poor nations is narrowing, with 58% of cell phone subscribers world wide coming from the developing nations.

This should only be seen as the green shots of recovery though as while technology is credited with boosting development in poorer countries, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), it also warned that the digital divide still meant the gap between the rich and the poor is still a big divide.

Examples in the report include:

• In Africa, where the increase in terms of the number of mobile phone subscribers and penetration has been greatest, this technology can improve the economic life of the population as a whole.
• In rural communities in Uganda, and the small vendors in South Africa, Senegal and Kenya mobile phones were helping traders get better prices, ensure less went to waste and sell goods faster.
• A study of Thai manufacturing firms showed that a 10% increase in computer literate staff produced a 3.5% productivity gain.

This all seems like good encouraging progress to me.

Via [BBC]