Access to Clean Fuels and Technologies for Cooking in Africa: The Role of Mobile Cellular Subscriptions

Access to clean cooking fuels and technologies remains a critical challenge for Africa. Drawing on information asymmetry, energy ladder, and digital divide theories, this study examines the association between mobile cellular subscriptions and clean cooking access. Using panel data from 51 African countries (2003–2022) and a two‐way fixed effects model with extensive robustness checks, we find that higher mobile subscriptions are positively associated with greater access to clean cooking. Mechanism analyses suggest that internet penetration and per capita national income are two plausible channels, jointly accounting for about 35% of the total association. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive association is more pronounced in rural areas, middle‐ and high‐income countries, and Central Africa. These findings provide empirical support for leveraging mobile communication technologies to accelerate clean energy transitions in Africa.