Mobile phones versus water provision in Africa: What explains the variation in the access and the levels of investment?

The objective of this exploratory study is to explore the differences in the regulatory frameworks of two African countries, Ghana and Kenya, related to water and the telecommunications industry. The most important factors influencing the willingness to invest in both industries and the percentage change in access to services have been identified and evaluated. The project contributes to the understanding of the contrast between the comparatively high rates of investment and substantial progress made in cellular service provision on one hand, and of the comparatively lower levels of investment and slower incremental change in the access to clean water on the other. The purpose is to ask whether it is possible to learn from the achievements made in the ICT sector in order to enhance the efforts in provision of services in water sector (and vice versa), both in terms of increasing investments and increasing access to improved water sources.