Tone mFish: mFish 2

mFish is a mobile application initiative that was designed to cross the digital divide for rural Indonesian fishermen. It is a joint effort pilot from Tone and the US State Department to build sustainable solutions through mobile technology for fishermen in rural areas. The application connects fisherman to each other, to vital fishing information and to the local NGO's. In one day the digital divide was crossed by replacing basic cellphones in a rural fishing village with smartphones connected to the internet and the Tone platform.The first mFish pilot provided kits containing a smart phone, 1 GB of free data and solar charger to fishermen in Lombok. The phones provided connectivity while they were at sea, GPS and maps of their location day and night, weather information, catch logging data and rich messaging capabilities. After 6 months the program scaled to 26 000 fisherman in Indonesia and pilots are now starting in Madagascar, Bangladesh and Kenya. The same application is now being modified for farming and women’s empowerment.Agency: Tone