IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ajecsc/v68y2009i2p413-426.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determinants of Intercountry Internet Diffusion Rates

Author

Listed:
  • Phanindra V. Wunnava
  • Daniel B. Leiter

Abstract

This article employs cross‐sectional data from 100 countries to analyze the main determinants of intercountry Internet diffusion rates. We set up an empirical model based on strong theoretical foundations, in which we regress Internet usage on variables that capture social, economic, and political differences between these countries. Our results support past findings that economic strength, infrastructure, and knowledge of the English language positively affect Internet connectivity. In addition to these indicators, the openness of a country, tertiary enrollment, and income equality are found to also have a significant positive effect on Internet diffusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Phanindra V. Wunnava & Daniel B. Leiter, 2009. "Determinants of Intercountry Internet Diffusion Rates," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(2), pages 413-426, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajecsc:v:68:y:2009:i:2:p:413-426
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1536-7150.2009.00634.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1536-7150.2009.00634.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1536-7150.2009.00634.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Menzie D. Chinn & Robert W. Fairlie, 2007. "The determinants of the global digital divide: a cross-country analysis of computer and internet penetration," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 59(1), pages 16-44, January.
    2. Khurram Jamali & Kirsten Wandschneider & Phanindra Wunnava, 2007. "The effect of political regimes and technology on economic growth," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(11), pages 1425-1432.
    3. Hargittai, Eszter, 1999. "Weaving the Western Web: explaining differences in Internet connectivity among OECD countries," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(10-11), pages 701-718, November.
    4. Guillén, Mauro F. & Suárez, Sandra L., 2001. "Developing the Internet: entrepreneurship and public policy in Ireland, Singapore, Argentina, and Spain," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 349-371, June.
    5. Beilock, Richard & Dimitrova, Daniela V., 0. "An exploratory model of inter-country Internet diffusion," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(3-4), pages 237-252, April.
    6. Edward M. Crenshaw & Kristopher K. Robison, 2006. "Globalization and the Digital Divide: The Roles of Structural Conduciveness and Global Connection in Internet Diffusion," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 87(1), pages 190-207, March.
    7. George R G Clarke, 2004. "Effect of Enterprise Ownership and Foreign Competition on Internet Diffusion in the Transition Economies," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 46(2), pages 341-370, June.
    8. Meijers, Huub, 2006. "Diffusion of the Internet and low inflation in the information economy," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 1-23, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nicholas Economides & V. Brian Viard, 2010. "The Effect of Content on Global Internet Adoption," Working Papers 10-19, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    2. Korkmaz, Özge & Erer, Elif & Erer, Deniz, 2022. "Internet access and its role on educational inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(5).
    3. Monica Răileanu Szeles & Mihaela Simionescu, 2020. "Regional Patterns and Drivers of the EU Digital Economy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 95-119, July.
    4. Ph.D. Almas Heshmati & Ph.D. Firas H. Al-Hammadany, 2014. "Multinomial Logit Model of Choices of Internet Modes in Iraq," Business and Economic Research, Macrothink Institute, vol. 4(2), pages 114-135, December.
    5. Lüdering, Jochen, 2014. "The measurement of internet availability and quality in the context of the discussion on digital divide," Discussion Papers 65, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Center for international Development and Environmental Research (ZEU).
    6. P. Guerrieri & M. Luciani & V. Meliciani, 2011. "The determinants of investment in information and communication technologies," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 387-403.
    7. Krüger, Jens J. & Rhiel, Mathias, 2016. "Determinants of ICT infrastructure: A cross-country statistical analysis," Darmstadt Discussion Papers in Economics 228, Darmstadt University of Technology, Department of Law and Economics.
    8. Teklemariam, Mekuria Haile, 2021. "Developing a tailored strategy for mobile applications’ adoption across diffusion levels: A panel data analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    9. V. Brian Viard & Nicholas Economides, 2015. "The Effect of Content on Global Internet Adoption and the Global “Digital Divide”," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(3), pages 665-687, March.
    10. Li, Raymond & Shiu, Alice, 2012. "Internet diffusion in China: A dynamic panel data analysis," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 872-887.
    11. Dohse, Dirk & Lim, Cheng Yee, 2016. "Macro-geographic location and internet adoption in poor countries: What is behind the persistent digital gap?," Kiel Working Papers 2067, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    12. Teklemariam, Mekuria Haile & Kwon, Youngsun, 2020. "Differentiating mobile broadband policies across diffusion stages: A panel data analysis," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(8).
    13. Wafa Sassi & Hakim Ben Othman & Khaled Hussainey, 2023. "The determinants of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) adoption : a cross-country study," Post-Print hal-04191489, HAL.
    14. Szeles, Monica Răileanu, 2018. "New insights from a multilevel approach to the regional digital divide in the European Union," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 452-463.
    15. Feng, Guangchao Charles, 2015. "Determinants of Internet diffusion: A focus on China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 176-185.
    16. Wafa Sassi & Hakim Ben Othman & Khaled Hussainey, 2024. "The determinants of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) adoption: a cross-country study," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(2), pages 175-192, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. P. Guerrieri & M. Luciani & V. Meliciani, 2011. "The determinants of investment in information and communication technologies," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 387-403.
    2. Dohse, Dirk & Lim, Cheng Yee, 2016. "Macro-geographic location and internet adoption in poor countries: What is behind the persistent digital gap?," Kiel Working Papers 2067, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Frederico Cruz-Jesus & Tiago Oliveira & Fernando Bacao & Zahir Irani, 2017. "Assessing the pattern between economic and digital development of countries," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 835-854, August.
    4. Szeles, Monica Răileanu, 2018. "New insights from a multilevel approach to the regional digital divide in the European Union," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 452-463.
    5. Frederico Cruz-Jesus & Tiago Oliveira & Fernando Bacao & Zahir Irani, 0. "Assessing the pattern between economic and digital development of countries," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    6. Neokosmidis, Ioannis & Avaritsiotis, Nikolaos & Ventoura, Zoe & Varoutas, Dimitris, 2015. "Assessment of the gap and (non-)Internet users evolution based on population biology dynamics," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 14-37.
    7. Li, Raymond & Shiu, Alice, 2012. "Internet diffusion in China: A dynamic panel data analysis," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 872-887.
    8. Richard Perkins & Eric Neumayer, 2011. "Is the internet really new after all?: the determinants of telecommunications diffusion in historical perspective," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 30800, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Thierry PENARD & Nicolas POUSSING & Gabriel ZOMO YEBE & Philémon NSI ELLA, 2012. "Comparing the Determinants of Internet and Cell Phone Use in Africa: Evidence from Gabon," Communications & Strategies, IDATE, Com&Strat dept., vol. 1(86), pages 65-83, 2nd quart.
    10. Krüger, Jens J. & Rhiel, Mathias, 2016. "Determinants of ICT infrastructure: A cross-country statistical analysis," Darmstadt Discussion Papers in Economics 228, Darmstadt University of Technology, Department of Law and Economics.
    11. Paolo Guerrieri & Sara Bentivegna (ed.), 2011. "The Economic Impact of Digital Technologies," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14361.
    12. Margarita Billon & Fernando Lera-Lopez & Rocío Marco, 2010. "Differences in digitalization levels: a multivariate analysis studying the global digital divide," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 146(1), pages 39-73, April.
    13. Gulati, Girish J. & Yates, David J., 2012. "Different paths to universal access: The impact of policy and regulation on broadband diffusion in the developed and developing worlds," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 749-761.
    14. Ren, Siyu & Hao, Yu & Xu, Lu & Wu, Haitao & Ba, Ning, 2021. "Digitalization and energy: How does internet development affect China's energy consumption?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    15. Charles Amo Yartey, 2006. "Financial Development, the Structure of Capital Markets, and the Global Digital Divide," IMF Working Papers 2006/258, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Zhang, Xiaoqun, 2013. "Income disparity and digital divide: The Internet Consumption Model and cross-country empirical research," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 515-529.
    17. Stier, Sebastian, 2017. "Internet diffusion and regime type: Temporal patterns in technology adoption," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 25-34.
    18. Richard Perkins & Eric Neumayer, 2004. "The international diffusion of new technologies: a multi-technology analysis of latecomer advantage and global economic integration," Development and Comp Systems 0407001, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 08 Dec 2004.
    19. Charles Shaaba Saba & Oladipo Olalekan David, 2023. "Identifying Convergence in Telecommunication Infrastructures and the Dynamics of Their Influencing Factors Across Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(2), pages 1413-1466, June.
    20. Alderete, María Verónica, 2019. "Examining the drivers of internet use among the poor: The case of Bahía Blanca city in Argentina," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ajecsc:v:68:y:2009:i:2:p:413-426. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0002-9246 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.