The Impact of Internet Access on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Africa
This paper investigates the effects of access to high-speed internet on innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. The identification strategy exploits the staggered arrival of submarine internet cables to the coast of Africa and the subsequent rol...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Washington, DC: World Bank
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/324661645626308936/The-Impact-of-Internet-Access-on-Innovation-and-Entrepreneurship-in-Africa http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37059 |
| Summary: | This paper investigates the effects
of access to high-speed internet on innovation and
entrepreneurship in Africa. The identification strategy
exploits the staggered arrival of submarine internet cables
to the coast of Africa and the subsequent rollout of
terrestrial fiber network across the continent. The findings
show a positive effect of access to high-speed internet on
innovation at the firm level, with availability of digital
skills within the firm playing a key role in the
internet-innovation nexus. The paper also finds evidence of
internet-induced entrepreneurship: the probability that a
household establishes a non-farm business increases when
connected to the internet. However, the increase in
entrepreneurial activities is largely concentrated in the
service sector. |
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