Network adoption subsidies: A digital evaluation of a rural mobile phone program in Rwanda

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bjorkegren, Daniel; Karaca, Burak Ceyhun
• 署名单位: Brown University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2021.102762
• 发表日期: 2022
• 关键词: targeting; subsidies; Policy audits; mobile phones; networks; technology adoption

摘要

Governments commonly target subsidies for communication networks in remote areas. We analyze a program in Rwanda that subsidized the equivalent of 8% of the stock of mobile phones, using 5.3 billion transaction records. Handsets mostly stayed in rural areas: 85% of accounts receiving subsidized handsets mostly use a rural tower. Subsidized handsets were used as much as purchased handsets. Recipients are highly connected to each other. We simulate welfare effects using a network demand system. Up to 69% of the impact on operator revenue comes from spillovers on nonrecipients. We also assess counterfactual targeting based on network properties and vouchers.