African information revolution: a balance sheet

This paper provides a policy and institutional framework to describe and analyze the diffusion of information technology and the global information revolution (IR) in Sub-Saharan Africa and the major factors that influence this diffusion. We begin by examining regional diffusion and find substantial...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Telecommunications policy 2003-02, Vol.27 (1), p.155-177
Main Authors: Wilson III, Ernest J, Wong, Kelvin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
Broadcasting
Diffusion
Economic development
Information
Information technology
Infrastructure
Internet
Market
Policy
Policy making
Policy studies
Public infrastructure
Studies
Telecommunications
Telecommunications industry
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Summary:This paper provides a policy and institutional framework to describe and analyze the diffusion of information technology and the global information revolution (IR) in Sub-Saharan Africa and the major factors that influence this diffusion. We begin by examining regional diffusion and find substantial cross-national diffusion differences across the continent, with considerable variation in regional diffusion of telephone, internet, radio, and television. This pattern undermines technologic and economic explanations as sole determinants of variation in diffusion. Then we conduct an analysis of the IR in Sub-Saharan Africa based on a policy framework. This framework identifies four key policy balances (1. public and private initiatives, 2. monopoly and competition “markets”, 3. domestic and foreign ownership or control, and 4. centralized and de-centralized administrative controls) as important elements to a better understanding of the diffusion of the IR. We find that a necessary condition for an explanation of the diffusion of the IR is a policy and institutional framework that incorporates these four balances.
ISSN:0308-5961
1879-3258
DOI:10.1016/S0308-5961(02)00097-6