The digital policies in the face of access and usage inequalities among young people in intermediate cities in Senegal: The case of Saint-Louis

Abstract

This contribution questions young people’s access to digital networks at the scale of intermediate cities in Saint-Louis. Thus, it analyzes the prescriptions of digital actors responsible for the development of digital economy in relation with the orientations of the Senegal Digital 2025 strategy. This is a pretex to highlight the gaps between official political discourses and the level of deployment of digital infrastructures. The study highlights the need to repoliticize the needs of populations for broadband and very high-speed connections to promote local initiatives for youth participation in Saint-Louis. Indeed, datas relating to access and use of the Internet by young people reveal inequalities linked to household income, the disparity of infrastructure and digital equipment, and the discontinuity in neighborhood development, but also to the adaptability of the internet service marketed. Through urban and explanatory sociology mobilized through the approach of young people’s real access to the Internet, our analyzes have shown at the scale of urban neighborhoods the impact of the actions recommended by those involved in the development of populations’ access to Internet. The result is that the majority of young people are forced to access the Internet through medium-speed mobile networks.