The last five years have seen tremendous growth in telephone ownership and use in developing countries. But what impact has the telephone had on livelihoods – on how people live their lives, protect themselves against vulnerability and take opportunities for a more prosperous future? Gamos has been involved in a research project assessing the impact of the telephone on the lives of the rural poor in three developing countries – in the state of Gujarat in India; in Mozambique; and in Tanzania.

One of the key issues in promoting access for telephony and internet in Africa is the need for information about how new services are likely to be used by consumers - both citizens and small businesses. This research - based on a statistically valid sample of households in Botswana, Ghana and Uganda in 2002, applied across the whole country – takes the first step in providing this information.