ICT and affordability of smartphones are critical for the dissemination of information by governments, experts and the media as the world battles to end the coronavirus pandemic, Huawei Technologies has said.
Key to digital communication now is the phone, especially the smartphone, the firm said in a statement on Monday.
“The smartphone allows people to stay in touch with their friends and families, receive important information, and educate themselves during these tough times.
“Smartphones may become even more crucial when the outbreak is brought under control”, Huawei said.
Daily Trust reports that research in countries like Tanzania and India found that the extremely poor – those who earn less than $2 per day – would have to spend 16 percent of their annual income just to purchase an average-priced smartphone.
But for people struggling to eat on a daily basis, using this percentage of their income is not a rational option, Huawei said.
However, it said, device manufacturers could not offer phones at a significantly more affordable rate because they have costs of their own to manage.
“For this reason, it is necessary to develop business models which ensure that those in poverty can own smartphones.
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