Moble Phones Fueling Economy in Bangladesh

We've seen before how technology can help impoverished countries improve their standard of living by putting isolated individuals and communities in touch with jobs and critical resources.  Key among these technologies is the cell phone, which is helping people in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries

The mobile phone industry there employs nearly 240,000 people, putting a badly needed $650 million into the nation's GDP and paying $256 million in taxes.

Falling costs and better coverage have led to an explosive growth in cell phone usage in Bangladesh, with 11 million citizens now owning a cell phone.  Granted, that's only 7% of the total population, but considering that nearly half of those people survive on less than a dollar a day, that's impressive.

Source:  AFP (via Yahoo)

Tags: Bangladesh, cell phone, mobile phone, leapfrogging