Here, we’ll expand on that definition, and look at examples and advantages of this practice.
Table of Contents
Here, we’ll expand on that definition, and look at examples and advantages of this practice.
What is technology leapfrogging?
Technology leapfrogging is when a form of tech or infrastructure is supplied that bypasses, or ‘leapfrogs’ older or more conventional tech. Perhaps the most famous and illustrative example is mobile phones bypassing landlines. So, a community might be waiting on a landline for years (decades, even), and during that time, mobile phone infrastructure has been installed in its surrounds. In this case, residents are given mobile phone handsets, bypassing or leapfrogging the need for landline setup.
Leapfrogging happens because technology often moves faster than the provision of infrastructure. In other words, affordable access to the next technology becomes available before the infrastructure for the older technology gets built or installed. Mobile phone banking is another classic illustration. As CIO reports: “There are only five bank branches per 100,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa, according to World Bank data. By contrast, mobile phone penetration across the continent is at 73 percent." Leapfrogging is also associated with ‘tunneling through’. This refers to bypassing environmental hazards and mistakes that other countries have done in the past on the road to industrialisation.
Examples of leapfrogging
As you might imagine, with technology moving at its current speed, examples of leapfrogging take place around the world with increasing frequency. Here are some modern examples.
3G phones before broadband
Solar energy before an energy grid
Advantages of leapfrogging
Here are some reasons why leapfrogging can be so effective.
It allows developing countries and regions to develop faster
It avoids past mistakes
Technology leapfrogging and telemedicine technology
Telemedicine offers remote clinical services, via real-time communication between the patient and the healthcare provider. Unsurprisingly, this has strong connections with technology leapfrogging. As The World Economic Forum reports: “The World Health Organization's six building blocks for health systems offer a lens through which to view the everyday challenges of healthcare delivery... These are: service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines, financing and leadership/governance.”
Telemedicine offers patients in remote areas the opportunity to consult with health professionals remotely, and it is exploding in regions that are remote and/or limited in their access to healthcare. (It’s a subject we’ve discussed in other blogs, such as How Telehealth can Improve Healthcare for Expats and Telemedicine from Home.) The World Economic Forum report offers numerous examples: “In Africa, startups like Nigeria's Lifebank are pioneering technology to speed up blood donations and deliveries, saving lives where every second counts. Meanwhile Kenya's Flare – an 'Uber for ambulances' – has dramatically reduced emergency response times, becoming a lifeline for countless patients.
“In India, the digital platform eSanjeevani serves a dual purpose – it bridges the doctor-patient gap with telemedicine consultations and ensures healthcare workforce training, with millions of consultations to its credit.”
What NGOs can do
In remote locations, technology is helping bridge the inequality in accessing care and education. So, while the digital divide is real, protect your NGO in mission in remote location by providing access to care everywhere.
Allianz, NGOs and tele health
For additional information, we published a range of NGO-related blogs in recent months, including ‘How do NGOs Hire the right Employees?’’ and Prioritizing the wellbeing and safety of NGO workers abroad. And we also have a range of articles about telehealth, including Virtual Check ins for Mobile Professionals.
Feel free to contact us today for information on NGO Care, our dedicated international health insurance for NGOs.