Educational Media Reviews Online

What will be the impact of the mobile phone revolution that is seemingly sweeping the world? How will it change our relationship to reality? And how widespread is the use of mobile communication? While seven out of 10 people own mobile phones and handheld communication devices in Finland (home of the giant mobile technology company, Nokia) what is the state of mobile communication in Africa and other parts of the developing world?

While these are interesting and important questions, this poorly organized and hastily translated French-language film does not satisfactorily deal with them. It tries to do and say too much, without a logical progression from one scene to the next.

The film opens with a number of confusing dramatic simulations of the possible near-future use of wireless technology. It is not clear whether we are supposed to understand the conversations of actors speaking Japanese and French, and just what it is that they are doing. The scenes of how mobile communication is affecting family life in Finland which follow are more understandable, although there is no particular reason for them to be shown at this point in the film.

The scene then shifts to the business of mobile communications and how it may affect society. Nokia representatives brag about how responsive they are to consumers needs. But at what costs? In interviews, Philippe Quea, UNESCO'S Director of Information, and MIT's Michael Dertouzos, an expert on digital communications ask, "how much privacy do you want?" In order to succeed, companies delivering such new technology tend toward consolidation--putting society at risk of entrusting their most intimate relationships to huge multinational corporations.

While experts doubt that banks will be ready to finance the enormous new networks that full-scale Internet access requires in developing countries, the use of wireless phones is proving a boon to small businesses throughout the world. In Africa, for example, where the infrastructure necessary for "fixed-line" phone service is lacking; farmers in remote locations can easily check the current prices for their commodities using their mobile phones. And yet, the film concludes, the "gap is widening" between digital haves and have-nots. It is assumed that a coming "fusion" between wireless phones and Internet service will leave the developing countries out in the cold again. It is not at all clear that this is true.

Not recommended. Libraries and organizations with a need for programming on this subject should turn to audio transcripts of news programs available on the web. for example, a good recent program, "The Wireless Future," is available from PBS Online at <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june00/wireless_2-8.html>