Mobile Communications Technology in Rural Societies of Developing Countries

Abstract

This paper examines the potentials and pitfalls of Mobile Communication Technology and analyses the factors affecting positively or negatively adoption of the technology. A two-step cluster analysis was employed to explore the strata of mobile communication technology adoption. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire from a cross section of 490 rural residents in the EU-designated Less Favoured Area of Western Macedonia, Greece. Five rural residents' profiles were outlined which differ in terms of several socio-economic characteristics while several potentials - pitfalls of using mobile communication technology were discussed. The stratification of rural population into clusters and the identification of the motives driving them to adopt mobile communication technology or not is suggested as a way of integrating such technologies into rural development policies in Less Favoured Areas of developed countries.