| Mobile phones have experienced a dramatic increase in use in the developing world. They have been found to have positive effects on sales and increased market participation for grain traders in Niger and fishermen in Kerala, India. However, the relationship between mobile phone ownership and health, human capital and social outcomes has not been rigorously examined. We investigate this relationship by examining the effects of mobile phone ownership at the household level on developing indicators in Uganda using household survey conducted in 2002/2003 and 2005/2006 and combine this information with district-level mobile phone coverage during the survey periods. Using these data, we combine a difference-in-difference and instrumental variable analysis to determine the effects household mobile phone ownership had on a variety of indicators. We find mixed results, with positive outcomes for school attendance, breakfast consumption, employment outcomes and literacy and negative results for health outcomes and mosquito bed net usage. These outcomes highlight need to conduct further research and collect more data to determine effect of mobile phone ownership on non-economic development outcomes. |
