Mobile phones change lives in Africa
The mobile phone has been a godsend for the millions of people living in rural towns in Africa where traditional phone service previously had been too expensive or just unavailable. In particular, the growth of wireless penetration has dramatically altered the way people on the continent do business, making it exponentially more efficient. According to the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union, 74.6% of all African phone subscriptions last year were to mobile phone services. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)/Associated Press (10/16)