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The Economic Impact of Mobile Phone Ownership: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Tanzania

Author

Listed:
  • Philip; Roessler
  • Peter; Carroll
  • Flora; Myamba
  • Cornel; Jahari
  • Blandina; Kilama
  • Daniel; Nielson

Abstract

We study the causal impact of reducing the mobile gender gap. Leveraging one of the first large-scale experimental studies on women’s mobile phone ownership, we find that in Tanzania over thirteen months smartphones increased households’ annual consumption per capita by 20% compared to control. Consumption gains operated through women’s control and use of the smartphones. However, treatment effects were attenuated by handset turnover. By endline only 34% in the smartphone condition still possessed their handsets. This highlights the economic benefits of closing the mobile gender gap but also the tenuous nature of productive asset ownership for women in low-income households.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip; Roessler & Peter; Carroll & Flora; Myamba & Cornel; Jahari & Blandina; Kilama & Daniel; Nielson, 2021. "The Economic Impact of Mobile Phone Ownership: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Tanzania," CSAE Working Paper Series 2021-05, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:csa:wpaper:2021-05
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    finance and microfinance; climate change; anticipatory humanitarian action;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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