Access to electricity and digital inclusion: evidence from mobile call detail records

Georges V. Houngbonon,Stefania Rubrichi,Erwan Le Quentrec

doi:10.1057/s41599-021-00848-0

Georges V. Houngbonon, Stefania Rubrichi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00848-0

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Abstract

Despite significant progress in mobile connectivity, a large number of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa are at risk of being left behind, especially those living in rural areas and women. In this paper, we use an original data set of mobile call detail records from Senegal and exploit variations across plausibly similar rural municipalities to assess the impact of access to electricity on mobile connectivity. We find that access to mobile connectivity for rural users, measured by mobile telephony subscriptions or smartphone ownership, increases with access to electricity, with a stronger impact for women. The impact on usage is also positive, but stems from the increased volume of incoming communications: rural mobile users with access to electricity do not place more calls than those with limited access; rather, they receive more calls and text messages from urban areas, especially those with higher living standards. These findings suggest that access to electricity can be a significant driver of digital inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Highlights

Despite significant progress in mobile connectivity, a substantial number of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are at risk of being left behind, especially those living in rural areas and women
We find that access to electricity enables increased usage of mobile connectivity, but in an unexpected manner: rural mobile phone users with access to electricity rely on the cheapest communication means, typically short messages services, to communicate with their contacts, and receive more calls and text messages, especially from areas with higher living standards, than users with limited access to electricity
Our findings suggest that mobile connectivity, when combined with access to electricity, can support development in rural areas through financial and knowledge transfers as rural users with access to electricity receive more calls and text messages from municipalities with higher living standards

Summary

Introduction

Despite significant progress in mobile connectivity, a substantial number of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are at risk of being left behind, especially those living in rural areas and women. We use this data to build statistics about access to and usage of mobile phones at the level of each site, with linkages between the originating and destination sites, enabling the assessment of the impact of access to electricity on new dimensions of mobile connectivity like incoming and outgoing calls and texts according to the characteristics of the originating areas. Probably because they rely on survey data, these studies do not provide a detailed analysis of how access to electricity affects incoming and outgoing communications which are important in understanding innovative programs that can support increased mobile connectivity in energy-deficient areas.

Results

Conclusion