Mobile communications of the needy and poor: Affordability indicators, European data, social tariffs

Abstract

This section summarizes the data and information collected across Europe and beyond, inside the COST 605 Action (2008-2011), and can be relevant for separate analysis, research and regulations about the mobile communications costs of poor and needy groups. Miscellaneous social and macro-economic data on the needy and their mobile communications usage in five European countries are presented. It also contains the specification of a new indicator whereby the affordability of mobile communications for poor and needy can be established, and the corresponding results for 7 countries in 2006 and 2010. The indicator is the "poor's purchasing power parity (PPP) in wireless minutes per month", based on reported data collected on the distribution amongst poor and needy groups in Georgia and France. An Appendix gives some data sources for the countries where data were collected. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.