Mobile network operators are gathering a tremendous amount of data every hour of every day. How they might use that data to support society is something they are still trying to figure out.
Many, both at mobile network operators and in development, have recognized that the data from mobile phones can help in tracking critical challenges — from the spread of disease, to migration patterns, to poverty rates — but they have now reached a critical junction where they need to translate that knowledge into action.
“In general we see we cannot leave this potential on the table and do nothing,” said Nicolas de Cordes, vice president of marketing anticipation at the Orange Group, a mobile network operator among the first to examine using data for social good. “We are really exploring now, asking the next question … not is it interesting, but how do we do to it in a safe and trustable way.”
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.