The growing role of wireless communication in international economic development was the focus of a major research workshop organized by the Annenberg Research Network on International Communication. The October 7-8, 2005 gathering of the world's leading global communication researchers included participants from India, Kenya, Indonesia, Chile, Mexico, China, and England, among other nations. They represented NGOs, academic institutions, and international corporations. According to François Bar (pictured), communication professor and conference co-organizer, "Wireless technologies, from cell phones to Wi-Fi, hold tremendous promise for economic development. The workshop was a chance to begin a systematic analysis of wireless policies, deployment strategies and user practices across the developing world." The proceedings from this research workshop will be published in a special issue of the MIT Press journal Information Technologies and International Development.
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