Impact Study of the Arrival of a New Mobile Phone Operator in Haiti

Do telecoms really contribute to the economic development of developing countries ? After funding a new mobile phone operator in Haiti, the Agence Française de Développement and Proparco have been willing to assess the impact of the arrival of this new operator on the Haitian economy. This case study was conducted by BearingPoint and analysed both micro and macro economical indicators. The conclusions show that the arrival of the new mobile phone operator lead to an explosion of the penetration rate of mobile phone in Haiti thanks to increased competition, with significant positive impacts on employment and GDP in the first 3 years following the arrival. The updating of the study shows that the arrival of another new mobile phone operator also triggered a second boost of the mobile phone market. In a context of a long-time damaged economy, this dynamic market appears to bring a breath of fresh air to the country both through direct and undirect effects.