Subsea cables are the global backbone of the Internet, connecting people, businesses, and economies around the world. They connect us to the cloud, deliver streaming video, and increase efficiency and productivity for business. Subsea cables’ importance is all the more apparent during the Covid19 pandemic when many of us have switched to working from home, remote learning, and online gaming and entertainment.
We studied the economic impacts from subsea cables that arrived in South Africa in 2009 to understand how they changed the economy. The results show that the economic impact overall was large, and there were more jobs in fiber-connected areas. However, the economic gains were not broad-based, in part because many South Africans cannot afford service.
