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The Role of Telecommunication Infrastructure in the Regional Economic Growth of Africa
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Abstract
This paper deals with the effects of telecommunications on the economic growth in African countries. The telecommunications sector became a vital sector during the era of the economic reform that has been characterising the continent. We investigate empirically the role of telecommunication infrastructures on long-run economic growth in 40 African countries, for the span of time from 1984 to 2005. We use the panel data approach model, which evidences that telecommunications contribute in a major way to the economic development of the continent. It is a crucial determinant, as findings indicate a significant and positive correlation between telecommunication infrastructures and regional growth in Africa, after controlling for a number of other factors. Results also show that investment in telecommunications is subject to increasing returns.Infrastructure; Growth; Africa; Dynamic Panel