Colleagues/ There are a number of major initiatives in the arena of >> Mobile Telephony In Rural Areas << notably in developing countries by major national and international bodies. IMHO> Such activities can / might / will also serve as models for mobile outreach in the U.S. as well, particularly as replacements [?] / alternatives [?] / enhancement(s) / Etc. to Extension Services in not only rural areas, but urban areas as well. /Gerry Mobile phones are the success story of bridging the rural digital divide, bringing tangible economic benefits and acting as agents of social mobilization through improved communication. Through this new section, you can locate a wide range of materials on the challenges that rural communities face in enhancing the benefits of mobile telephony, and look at examples of interesting initiatives and good outcomes from around the globe: The Online Forum on "Mobile Telephony in Rural Areas" 17-28 November 2008: *Detailed Summary of Week I discussions in the Forum *The Policy Brief, summarizing the key conclusions of the Forum. Interviews have been published with mobile phone experts Christian Kreutz, Consultant and Knowledge Activist, and Naimur Rahman, head of the OneWorld office in South Asia and the LifeLines India project. At the Knowledge Share Fair in Rome, Italy, a discussion session was held about "Mobile Telephony in Rural Areas". Resources related to rural telephony such as interviews, reports, booklets, articles, country profiles, and more, have been added to the e-agriculture Knowledge Base under the topic "mobile phone". Simply login first to conduct your search and access all the material available. [snip] The Spanish language Online Forum on "Mobile Telephony in Rural Areas" 20-30 Abril 2009. Interviews in Spanish about Mobile Telephony and Rural Development: *Interview with Dr. Roxana Barrantes- Researcher and Professor in Perú discusses Mobile Telephony & Rural Development. *Interview about Traceability, Geo-Traceability & Mobile Telephony for Rural Development. Ricardo Sánchez Villagrán- Argentina *Interview: Project in El Salvador facilitates access to information to farmers with SMS to communicate prices. Raúl Corleto, FIAGRO*Interview with Hugo Carrión- Researcher with Imaginar. Mobile Telephony in Rural Areas- Ecuador Note > e-agriculture represents a partnership of several major national and international bodies Note > The e-agriculture Website is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Source And Links To Listed Resource And Twitter Account Available At [ http://tinyurl.com/yd6s26q ] Over the coming weeks I plan to profile a number of mobile e-agriculture resources that I've discovered in exploring the main e-agriculture site and its associated links. If you and/or your colleagues, however, are aware any /all mobile e-ag activities in the U.S. (as well as elsewhere) I would appreciate learning about them; Please note as a 'Comment' on the blog entry. Thanks A Million ! Season's Greetings !!! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 Follow Me On Twitter > http://twitter.com/GMcKBlogs "The Truth?, You Can't Handle The Truth !" > "It's All A Battle Of Ideas ... ."