Valentin Lindlacher

Assistant Professor in Economics at TU Dresden

Refereed journal publications

Mobile Money and Financial Inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa

with Lukasz Grzybowski and Onkokame Mothobi
Information Economics and Policy (2023), Vol. 65. (publication)
FIT IN Initiative Working Paper

In this paper, we utilize survey data collected in 2017 from 12,735 individuals across nine Sub-Saharan African countries. We merge the survey data with geographic information related to the proximity of mobile network towers and banking facilities, based on the geo-locations of the respondents. Our estimation approach comprises a two-stage model. In the first stage, consumers make choices between adopting a feature phone or a smartphone. In the second stage, they make decisions regarding the use of mobile money services. Our findings reveal that network coverage significantly influences the adoption of mobile phones. Moreover, we observe that mobile money services are more favored by younger and relatively wealthier individuals for sending money, while older individuals and those with lower incomes tend to use mobile wallets for receiving money. Consequently, mobile money services facilitate younger migrant workers residing in areas with better infrastructure in providing support to their older relatives in less developed regions.

Keywords: Mobile money; Sub-Saharan Africa; Financial inclusion
JEL-Codes: O12, O16, O18, O33, L86, L96

Interoperability between Mobile Money Agents and Choice of Network Operators: The Case of Tanzania

with Lukasz Grzybowski and Onkokame Mothobi
Review of Network Economics (2023), Vol. 22:1, 27-52. (publication)
FIT IN Initiative Working Paper

In this paper, we investigate the effects of non-exclusive agreements between networks of mobile money agents on mobile network operator choices, using survey data from Tanzania conducted in 2017. By combining survey responses with geo-location data and information on agent proximity, we employ discrete choice models to analyze consumers’ decisions in subscribing to mobile network operators and their corresponding mobile money providers. Our findings highlight the significant influence of the distance to mobile money agents on consumers’ subscription choices. To explore the impact of interoperability (non-exclusivity) at the mobile money agent level, where consumers can use the nearest agent from any mobile money provider, we assess its effects on market shares of mobile network operators. Our results indicate that interoperability at the agent level has only a minor impact on market shares. Smaller operators experience marginal gains as their consumers can now utilize agents of larger providers, which are often closer in proximity. In conclusion, we find that interoperability at the agent level does not considerably alter the market structure in the context Tanzania during the period under consideration.

Keywords: Mobile money; Interoperability; M-Pesa; Tanzania; Mobile networks
JEL-Codes: O16, O18,O33, L86, L96

New Region, New Chances: Does Moving Regionally for University Shape Later Job Mobility?

with Felix Ehrenfried and Thomas Fackler
Regional Studies (2023), Vol 57:7, 1239-1253. (publication)
CESifo Working Paper
policy report (in German)
media coverage

Efficient local labour markets feature welfare and higher wages. For this efficiency, regional mobility is an essential factor. We find that high school graduates who move to another labour market region (LMR) when enrolling at a university, are also more likely to move to a third LMR when entering the job market. We take a subset of university graduates who went to high school in an agglomeration's suburbs. To take endogeneity in the decision to move into account, we use distance to university as an instrument. Experiencing a change in the residential region is a chance to induce regional mobility.

Keywords: Regional mobility; Job mobility; Distance to university; Students; Spatial
JEL-Codes: J61, R23, I23

Is High-Speed Internet an Infrastructure of General Interest?

Information Economics and Policy (2021), Vol. 56. (publication)

Although the recent years have witnessed a stark increase in the availability of high-speed Internet, adoption rates remain low. One potential explanation is that for most users high-speed Internet does not increase their utility. Using a mixed logit discrete choice model, this paper analyzes whether high-speed and basic Internet are substitutes. I find that they are not. Users who do not need higher speeds, choose basic speeds regardless of high-speed availability. Therefore, high-speed Internet is not an infrastructure of general interest. Consequently, policy-makers cannot increase usage of high-speed Internet by solely fostering its rollout.

Keywords: High-speed Internet; Broadband; Discrete choice; Mixed logit
JEL-Codes: L96, L13, L51

Further publications (partly in German)

How Can Phones Improve Financial Inclusion?