Valentin Lindlacher

Assistant Professor in Economics at TU Dresden

Working papers

Digital Infrastructure and Local Economic Development: Early Internet in Sub-Saharan Africa

with Moritz Goldbeck (R&R at Journal of the European Economic Association)
latest version here
CESifo Working Paper
job market paper
runner-up for the Distinguished CESifo Affiliate Award at the CESifo Area Conference on the Economics of Digitization 2022

We investigate the impact of early internet availability at basic speeds on local economic development in remote areas of developing countries by analyzing nighttime light emissions across towns in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we exploit submarine cable arrivals, which established countrywide internet connections, and the rollout of the national backbones, which defines internet access within countries. Estimating on incidentally connected mid-sized towns, we find that early internet availability increases nighttime light intensity by 10 percent. We consider increased employment as the main explanation. Our findings highlight the importance of closing the digital divide for regional development.



Keywords: Internet; Regional development; Towns; Nighttime light; Sub-Saharan Africa
JEL-Codes: L86, O18, O33, R11
Map of stadiums

Work in progress

    Leapfrogging Telecommunication: Did the Roll-Out of Mobile Coverage Structurally Change Labor Markets?

    with Marta Bernardi

    Keywords: Mobile coverage, Structural transformation, Technological development
    JEL-Codes: O33, O12, O14


    Should I Mail or Should I Go: Voting Behavior After a One-Time All-Postal Election

    with Marius Kröper

    Keywords: Mail-in voting, Voter turnout, Local elections, Habit formation, COVID-19 pandemic, Bavaria
    JEL-Codes: D72, H11, H70, R50


    Training, Automation, and Wages: International Worker-Level Evidence

    with Oliver Falck, Yuchen Guo, Christina Langer, and Simon Wiederhold

    Keywords: Job training, Human capital, Digital skills, Entropy balancing
    JEL-Codes: J24, J31, J61, O33


    Commuting and Subjective Well-Being in Times of Mobile Network Rollout

    with Katharina Bettig

    Keywords: Commuting, Well-being, Internet availability, Life satisfaction, Marginal effect
    JEL-Codes: D1, I31, R41