Analysis of Internet Diffusion and Adoption in Selected African Countries

The study identifies and analyses the major determinants that influenced the diffusion and adoption of Internet technology in the selected African countries. The selected Africa countries were purposely chosen based on their Internet connectivity and usage pattern. A model was developed and used to explain inter-country differences in adoption as measured by the following parameters: Internet Usage (UI), Internet Host (IH), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, Investment in Telecommunication Infrastructures (ITI) per capita and Telephone Density (TD). These variables were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the study confirm past findings that Economic strength, Telecommunications and Technology Infrastructure, and number of Internet Host in the observed countries play a fundamentally important role in determining diffusion rates of Internet technology. However, correlation test and regression analysis do not show any significant relationship between Internet diffusion and telephone density. To this end, the work thus suggested some appropriate policy directions that will guide the government in telecommunication and economic policies in order to promote public as well as private investments in ICTs that in turn might further boost economic growth.