Crossing the Digital Desert in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does Policy Matter?
| Autor: | H. Richard Nakamura, Xiangxuan Xu, Patrik Ström, Robert Wentrup |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Health (social science)
business.product_category Public Administration Public economics Inequality business.industry Health Policy media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences 0507 social and economic geography Market concentration Computer Science Applications Competition (economics) Tax revenue Universal service 0502 economics and business Internet access The Internet 050207 economics business Digital divide 050703 geography media_common |
| Zdroj: | Policy & Internet. 8:248-269 |
| ISSN: | 1944-2866 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/poi3.123 |
| Popis: | The last decade has seen a rapid growth of Internet access across Africa, although it has not been evenly distributed. It is therefore important for policymakers to ask how policy can bridge this inequality of Internet access. This article addresses the dearth of research assessing the interplay between policy and Internet penetration by identifying Internet penetration-related policy variables and institutional constructs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a literature review and data availability, four variables are suggested: (i) free flow of information; (ii) market concentration; (iii) the activity level of the Universal Service Fund (USF); and (iv) total tax on computer equipment. The results show that only the activity level of the USF and low total tax on computer equipment are significantly positively related to Internet penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Free flow of information and market concentration do not show any impact on Internet penetration. The latter could be attributed to underdeveloped competition in most Sub-Saharan countries. We recommend that policymakers promote the policy instrument of Universal Service and USF and consider substituting tax on computer equipment with other tax revenues, and not to blindly trust the market's invisible hand to fix inequality in Internet diffusion. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Plný text