Article
Starting in 1997 mobile phones were introduced in Kerala, India. Since coverage spread gradually, this provided an ideal way to gauge the effect of mobile phones on the fishermen’s behaviour, the price of fish, and the amount of waste. For many years, anecdotes have abounded about the ways in which mobile phones promote more efficient markets and encourage economic activity. One particularly popular tale is that of the fisherman who is able to call several nearby markets from his boat to establish where his catch will fetch the highest price. This report discusses a new research paper which adds some numbers to the familiar stories and shows precisely how mobile phones support economic growth.