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Viewpoint: Don’t forget people in the use of big data for development
Information from satellites, mobile phones and other sources is not a panacea for international-development problems, warns Joshua Blumenstock.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Technology
- Tags
- data, global development
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Fighting ‘Tech Complacency’ in Social Enterprise: Why it’s Time to Embrace Blockchain
All around us, Fortune 500 firms and VCs are embracing disruptive innovation – so why aren't more social entrepreneurs following suit? Gautam Ivatury, founder and CEO of LendLedger, says the time has come for the social sector to take some risks and get out of its comfort zone – instead of simply waiting for technologies to filter down to its target beneficiaries. With blockchain, he says, social entrepreneurs "can redraw how industries work, not just create the latest in an endless series of mission-driven service providers."
- Categories
- Finance, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Press release: BBOXX pilots internet service to expand from off-grid electricity to additional utilities
In Rwanda, BBOXX has created internet connections via Wi-Fi Hotspots in a joint venture with Axiom Networks. So far, 10 fixed hotspots, powered by BBOXX solar systems, have been installed for the pilot.
- Source
- Press release
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- data, rural development
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Playing Drake While Ploughing Dirt: Tech Giants Are Bringing The Internet To Rural India, But Is Data The Price?
HuffPost India met with villagers living near Dholpur, a small town in Rajasthan, where Tata Trusts and Google India have been running a project called 'Internet Saathi' to train rural Indians to use a smartphone to access the Internet.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- data, rural development
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Press release: ODX Assembles All-Star Cast to Bring Free Internet to Emerging Markets
“Free and fair access to the web is a fundamental human right,” said Scott Walker, co-founder of DNA Fund. “The dynamic nature of emerging markets creates unique challenges that have never confronted the developed world but also opens up opportunities for innovation and growth. We are proud to be part of the elite group of early supporters of the ODX platform, which will leverage blockchain technology to enable the delivery of free mobile internet access to underserved populations across the world.”
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- blockchain, data, global development
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Step by Step Credit: Empowering the Unbanked through Progressive Finance
Despite notable progress in the financial inclusion sector, widespread, permanent change remains elusive. The good news, says Aristotle Socrates at Juvo, is that not only is this change possible, but everything we need to make it happen already exists. In fact, it might be as easy as setting aside long-held assumptions about the role of wealth and income in establishing credit. He outlines how improved data infrastructure is connecting lenders to creditworthy customers, producing big gains for both providers and the financially excluded in the developing world.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
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The Quadrennial Quandary: Mobile financial inclusion still on an upswing, but women still face connectivity challenges
Going forward, the report highlights that the continuous involvement of businesses will be vital for unlocking opportunities to enhance financial inclusion.
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Press release: New Report: Banks Increasingly Embrace Data to Reach Underserved Customers
The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF), with the support of MetLife Foundation, released a report that examines how new types of data and new data tools present an unprecedented opportunity for financial service providers to understand and serve clients—particularly credit-seeking, "thin-file" clients who are otherwise excluded from the formal financial sector.
- Tags
- data, financial inclusion