The Effect of Mobile Phone Adoption on Economic Output Completed Research Paper

Mobile phones have had profound economic benefits for people across the globe who may not otherwise have had access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). Surprisingly little research has been done to understand the effect of mobile phones on economic growth, although prior studies have investigated economic impacts of general ICT investments. We examine the extent that mobile phones have led to economic growth through four major industry sectors: Agriculture, financial services, general services, and manufacturing. Using a country-level fixed effects model, we find that mobile phone diffusion has a positive and significant effect on economic output, beyond the effects of general ICT investment classes, mediated by its impact on the four primary industry sectors.