Rural Technology Adoption and Use Model in Rural Africa

Abstract

Mobile telephony networks have seen a high rate of adoption worldwide in recent years. However, these networks do not exist everywhere, and even where they are, their adoption is lagging. Especially in uncovered rural areas, it is difficult to predict the technology's acceptance and adoption factors. This study deals with the usage gap of mobile telephone networks and attempts in a methodological approach based on structural equation modeling to prevent the telephone usage gap in rural Africa yet to be covered. To that purpose, the authors use a research model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). By combining these two models and incorporating the moderating effects of demographic variables such as age, gender, education, and experience of technology use, this paper has retained a model with the ability to determine how rural residents will accept and use future networks.