Instructor: Kathy Wilson

Exuma: A secure mobile communication platform, which can allow users to anonymously blog/post about any issues without the fear of personal repercussions. Exuma helps encourage the use of mobile phones as a tool for the creation and growth of grassroots journalism

Thesis Statement:
In the world today there are 1.7 billion people in the world have a mobile phones(1). and this number is expected to grow to 2 billion within the next 5 years. This projected 2 billion figure will exceeded the number of consumer computers and digital cameras worldwide. It will revolutionize the way people are able to record information and share it with each other.

Now within this growth, the continent to experience the largest market demand for mobile phones is Africa (2). According to a recent Timeonline article (3), from 1999 through 2004, the number of mobile subscribers in Africa rose from 7.5 million to 76.8 million, an average annual increase of 58 percent. It is predicated by Gartner Dataquest that by 2008, Africans will buy about 31 million new mobile phones.

Beside the telecommunication aspect, mobile phones can also have a social, political and economical impact. According to a recent research project conducted by Vodaphone (4), mobile phones not only have a positive impact on economic growth in countries but that this impact was more then twice as significant within developing nations.

The impact that mobile phones will have on the creation of growth of grassroots journalism is undeniable. With limited access to computers, media outlets, the people in African nations will turn to mobile phones as the clear alternative to gather and share information.

The raising figure of mobile phones combined with the implementation of 3G networks, which will allow users to send and receive, media rich content, will transform the way people access and share information and this is where I believe Exuma can make a difference.

The complete paper can be viewed below