Arbeitspapier

Mobile Broadband Internet, Poverty and Labor Outcomes in Tanzania

What are the impacts of expanding mobile broadband coverage on poverty, household consumption and labor market outcomes in developing countries? Who benefits from improved coverage of mobile internet? To respond to these questions, this paper applies a difference-in-differences estimation using panel household survey data combined with geospatial information on the rollout of mobile broadband coverage in Tanzania. The results reveal that being covered by 3G networks has a large positive effect on total household consumption and poverty reduction, driven by positive impacts on labor market outcomes. Working age individuals living in areas covered by mobile internet witnessed an increase in labor force participation, wage employment, and non-farm self-employment, and a decline in farm employment. These effects vary by age, gender and skill level. Younger and more skilled men benefit the most through higher labor force participation and wage employment, while high-skilled women benefit from transitions from self-employed farm work into non-farm employment.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 14720

Classification
Wirtschaft
Economic Impacts of Globalization: Economic Development
General Welfare; Well-Being
Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
Subject
Africa
consumption
labor force participation
welfare
Tanzania

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Bahia, Kalvin
Castells, Pau
Cruz, Genaro
Masaki, Takaaki
Rodriguez Castelan, Carlos
Sanfelice, Viviane
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
(where)
Bonn
(when)
2021

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET

Data provider

This object is provided by:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Bahia, Kalvin
  • Castells, Pau
  • Cruz, Genaro
  • Masaki, Takaaki
  • Rodriguez Castelan, Carlos
  • Sanfelice, Viviane
  • Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Time of origin

  • 2021

Other Objects (12)