The ITU online publication “Capacity Building in a Changing ICT Environment”, which is released annually, puts together scholarly articles with a focus on the human and institutional aspects of capacity building in the telecommunications/ICT sector. It covers a wide range of ICT topics that may affect people and their skills development. 

The first issue of this publication focuses on mobile technologies for skills development and lifelong learning. It features the work of an international team of experts, tackling the issues in an analytical, critical and conceptual fashion. The articles in this issue explore the increasing power of mobile devices in bringing the benefits of ICTs to more people worldwide. They are a contribution to the current discussions on the educational applications of mobile technologies and their potential to enhance and facilitate lifelong learning and skills development.

The first article introduces the reader to the historical and conceptual frameworks of mobile learning. The following articles focus on different aspects of mobile learning and make key recommendations to move forward and to leverage the potential of mobile technologies. The final article draws some conclusions from previous articles and points to main challenges and recommendations in the field of mobile learning.