Mobiles cannot replace infrastructure, say researchers

10 Sep 2010

African governments need to prioritise the development of critical infrastructure in order for their citizens to be able to benefit from the full potential of mobile telephony, researchers have said.

A new study published in the summer issue of Journal of Economic Perspectives argues that the mobile phone boom in Africa can only transform the continent if the development of other infrastructure such as roads, education and health facilities is not neglected.

Mobile phones have allowed new initiatives such as mobile money transfer and agriculture-related projects to thrive in recent years. But the study claims their full potential is still dependent on other basic developments.

While just one in 50 Africans had a mobile in 2000, this figure had risen to 28% by 2009, according to the International Telecommunications Union.

Source: Panos London

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