International connectivity and the digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa

In recent decades, international connectivity has improved significantly with the worldwide deployment of some 400 fiber submarine cables (SMCs), transmitting more than 99% telecommunications. If sub-Saharan African (SSA) long remained excluded from this interconnection process, maritime infrastructure network recently densified and spurred an catch-up. This paper estimates impact SMC on digital divide in a sample 45 SSA countries covering period 1990–2014. Difference differences (DID) estimations are conducted highlight particular contribution SEACOM EASSy cables, laid 2009–2010, to Internet penetration Eastern Southern Africa. According DID estimates, rollout these SMCs yielded 3–5 percentage point increase rates region compared rest SSA. is remarkable advancement, since variation corresponds approximately level subcontinent prior their arrival.