Wireless technologies for development [Guest Editorial]

We live in a world in which there is a great disparity between the lives of the rich and the poor. Information and communication technology (ICT) offers promise in bridging this digital divide through its focus on connecting human capacity with computing and informational content. It is well known that Internet access has the capability of fostering development and growth by enabling access to information, education, and opportunities. Unfortunately, the availability of Internet in worldwide terms is limited, with an estimated 4 billion people - an estimated 60 percent of the human population - lacking Internet access. People in rural areas are particularly hard hit since socio-economic factors preclude the provisioning of Internet access and mobile telephony in these sparsely populated low-income areas.