Mobile phones have established themselves as the communication and networking platform of choice for billions of the world's consumers, most of whom are at the base of the global economic pyramid. Worldwide, mobile phone subscribers outnumber Internet users almost 3 to 1, with much of that gap coming from skyrocketing mobile phone use in Africa, India and China.

Yet new mobile computing platforms, such as the XO laptop from One Laptop Per Child and the Asus Eee PC promise to radically change Internet access with breakthrough portability, performance, power and price. Does "4P Computing" pose a challenge to mobile phone dominance, or does each approach blend into the other?

David Lehr

Please join David Lehr and Wayan Vota in a lively discussion of how this technology dissemination is transforming economic development at the Base of the Pyramid. Active participation with your ideas, opinions, and predictions is strongly encouraged.

About Your Hosts:

• David Lehr recently authored Going Wireless: Dialing for Development for the Acumen Fund and focused on cell phones for farmers as a Reuters Fellow with the Digital Vision Program.


• Wayan Vota is editor of One Laptop Per Child News and previously as Director of Geekcorps, promoted computer-based economic development.

Conversation Logistics:
Wednesday, April 305:30pm-7pm
Mercy Corps Conference Room
1730 Rhode Island Ave NW
Suite 809 - 8th Floor
Washington DC - map