Nokia Unveils Mobile Financial Services
Nokia yesterday announced it will provide mobile device access to basic financial services in cooperation with
Obopay. Money is exchanged using mobile phone numbers. According to a release from the company, 4 billion people have mobile phones, but only 1.6 billion have bank accounts, so Nokia Money, as it will be called, could bring financial inclusion to many who currently have limited or no access to financial services.
Minneapolis Approves Free Wireless for Non-Profits
The Minneapolis City Council today approved 51 applications for free wireless Internet accounts for non-profit organizations that provide public computer access, technology literacy training, and/or technology support for underserved communities.. The free accounts will be good through 2010. "It is not enough to just invest in state of the art wireless Internet technology, we also have to make sure that more people than ever can have access to that technology," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. "These free wireless Internet accounts are a great example of how we are going above and beyond what other communities have done to deliver Internet access to our residents and businesses." Minneapolis has a public-private partnership with USI Wireless.
Wayne E. Hanson served as a writer and editor with e.Republic from 1989 to 2013, having worked for several business units including Government Technology magazine, the Center for Digital Government, Governing, and Digital Communities. Hanson was a juror from 1999 to 2004 with the Stockholm Challenge and Global Junior Challenge competitions in information technology and education.
