Contact

It used to be that people here looked each other in the eye. No longer.

During the last few months, the number of cell phone subscribers and shops seems to have exploded. Pedestrians, diners, shoppers, and alas, drivers now reflect the glow of their screens.

I now must look carefully to avoid collisions when I bike or walk around town. Reports say mobile penetration has passed 20%—a doubling since mid-2013.

During that time, two new companies have begun competing with the former government monopoly, leading to much lower prices. I paid $150 for my phone number when I arrived here 16 months ago. To buy one now would cost me one hundred times less, or $1.50.

Unfortunately, connectivity isn’t always better. Just like on the roads here, there’s more traffic trying to use the same old routes.