This Week in Global Mobile | November 5, 2010

At times it's difficult to keep pace with the latest global mobile developments. I hope this selection of news stories from the past week will help you navigate the growing global network of connectivity:

  • 1.34 billion mobile handsets will be shipped world-wide in 2010, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the push, according to ABI Research.
  • Yesterday the E.U. released a paper announcing intentions to update and improve cyber privacy laws throughout the Union as early as next year.
  • Record-breaking Internet traffic per minute surpassed that of President Obama’s 2008 win during Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to Akamai.
  • AT&T launched its own health care unit called AT&T ForHealth to deliver 21st-century technology solutions to the health care industry.
  • The Kenyan government launched a breaking news SMS service, allowing citizens to receive latest news to their mobile phones “before the media manipulates it.”
  • Nigerian telecom carrier Globacom announced the construction of a US$600 million undersea communications cable to increase bandwidth and reduce costs in the country.
  • Joining Facebook and Google, Twitter just filled a full-time position in Washington D.C. in a move indicative of social media’s growing political influence.
  • Josh Wood explores Lebanon’s increasing crackdowns on Internet Freedom in his latest piece in the New York Times.
  • And finally, a look at how crisis-mapping platform Ushahidi was used yet again to monitor elections, this time in last week’s presidential vote in Tanzania.