Life Expectancy and Digital Inequality: Infrastructure as a Social Determinant of Health

This paper explores the role of telecommunications infrastructure as an emerging social determinant of health, focusing on its relationship with life expectancy. While traditional determinants such as income, education, and healthcare access remain vital, the integration of digital infrastructure has introduced new pathways through which health outcomes are shaped. Drawing on recent literature and guided by a conceptual framework that incorporates digital access, labor market informality, and institutional capacity, this study argues that digital inequality mirrors and exacerbates existing health disparities. The paper highlights how the interplay of these structural factors can explain why improved infrastructure does not uniformly translate into longer life expectancy. Emphasis is placed on the need for multidimensional policy interventions that promote digital inclusion, address informality, and strengthen institutions. The findings underscore the importance of treating digital infrastructure not merely as a technical issue, but as a central component of health equity in the digital age.