Brookings Institution Launches New Mobile Economy Project

There is no doubt that mobile broadband networks, devices, applications, and services are creating new market opportunities around the world. There are many aspects of the global mobile economy that require greater attention. In an effort to research the mobile economy more deeply and explore the ways of further improving communications, commerce, and connectivity through smartphones and other mobile devices, Washington D.C.-based Brookings Institution has launched a new Mobile Economy Project, funded by Qualcomm Incorporated, the world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies.

Brookings Institute, a nonprofit public policy organization, clarified that Qualcomm Incorporated is providing funding to support the work of its Center for Technology Innovation.

The Center for Technology Innovation is going to take up a number of initiatives. A three-year Mobile Economy Project is one of the most important among them. The project is aimed at examining the many ways in which the rapid roll-out of mobile technology around the world is transforming economic opportunity for hundreds of millions of people. 

Leveraging the funding from Qualcomm, the project is expected to produce a series of research papers analyzing the impact of mobile innovations on education, health care, public safety, entrepreneurship, and economic development. The center also plans to host an annual Mobile Economy summit as well as public forums and other events each year. 

The formal launch of the project took place on Dec. 8. The event included a forum on how mobile technology is impacting Americans' lives.

The project brought together leaders from government, business, nonprofits, academia, and the media to address major issues presented by the dramatic expansion of mobile technology.

Led by Darrell M. West, vice president and director of Governance Studies and Founding Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings, the researchers are going to examine and document the impact of the mobile revolution on the economies of developed and developing countries, including how this is transforming the relationships between businesses and consumers and between governments and citizens.

“Mobile technologies are transforming virtually every facet of modern life. Mobile broadband networks, devices, applications, and services are helping to drive economic prosperity and opportunity around the world – in ways that no one could have imagined just a few years ago,” Qualcomm's Executive Vice President and President of Global Market Development Peggy Johnson noted in a statement.

Qualcomm Atheros Inc., the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, recently launched the QCA7000, the world's first HomePlug Green PHY silicon solution. The QCA7000 is designed for embedded smart energy and automation applications in homes and buildings, Qualcomm said in a separate press release.