Determinants and Welfare Impacts of Mobile Internet Adoption in African Countries
Digital technologies (DTs) are becoming an important mechanism for unleashing inclusive development, particularly across Africa. The rollout of mobile broadband internet (3G) coverage has expanded substantially in several African countries; however...
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2022
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099557309092229255/IDU08dccc9c20412b04eae085a00ec3b47185c6b http://hdl.handle.net/10986/38007 |
| Summary: | Digital technologies (DTs) are
becoming an important mechanism for unleashing inclusive
development, particularly across Africa. The rollout of
mobile broadband internet (3G) coverage has expanded
substantially in several African countries; however, digital
divides persist across various groups. The issue of
affordability - the combination of low household consumption
and the high prices of services - is a main constraint on
internet adoption across Africa. Evidence in case studies on
Nigeria and Tanzania reveals that greater 3G coverage is
associated significantly with higher household consumption,
lower poverty rates, and positive labor market outcomes.
Policies focusing on reducing household budget constraints,
the price of mobile data, and increasing competition in
service provision are critical to supporting the expansion
of internet access. |
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