Cellphones Catapult Rural Africa to 21st Century

In areas where electricity and indoor plumbing are rarities, a surprising trend is taking shape. Despite infrastructure shortcomings and widespread poverty, Africa is now the world's fastest-growing market for cellphones. Mobile technology is drastically changing business and daily life – speeding up communication and allowing for previously impossible interactions – in rural areas where land lines were never constructed. According to The New York Times, "It turned out that Africans had never been big phone users because nobody had given them the chance." Prices for both phones and airtime have come down, and as a result, usage has increased drastically. For many, now, the major challenge is charging the batteries. – YaleGlobal