IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/worlde/v47y2024i4p1642-1681.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The economic impact of broadband access for small firms

Author

Listed:
  • Pantelis Koutroumpis
  • Danai Sarri

Abstract

This paper investigates the economic effects of improved broadband access at the firm level. Using a detailed micro data set from 2002 to 2017, we cover almost 20,000 small, medium and large Greek firms and test the relationship between their economic performance with the availability and use of broadband services at the postcode level. We trace the effect of increased access and speeds across industrial sectors and firm sizes. Our results highlight that increases in broadband speeds can improve the financial performance of adopting small firms (sales, profits and labour productivity) by 2% for every speed doubling beyond basic broadband access. Unlike other output metrics, small firms do not generate increasing shares of intangible capital through this adoption process. These effects, which remain strong across a range of robustness checks, suggest that the digital transition for small firms should focus on the causes of adoption (including training and skill development) and move beyond policies aimed at increased broadband availability alone.

Suggested Citation

  • Pantelis Koutroumpis & Danai Sarri, 2024. "The economic impact of broadband access for small firms," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(4), pages 1642-1681, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:47:y:2024:i:4:p:1642-1681
    DOI: 10.1111/twec.13485
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.13485
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/twec.13485?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ford, George S., 2018. "Is faster better? Quantifying the relationship between broadband speed and economic growth," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(9), pages 766-777.
    2. Angelo Castaldo & Alessandro Fiorini & Bernardo Maggi, 2018. "Measuring (in a time of crisis) the impact of broadband connections on economic growth: an OECD panel analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(8), pages 838-854, February.
    3. Geraci, Andrea & Nardotto, Mattia & Reggiani, Tommaso & Sabatini, Fabio, 2022. "Broadband Internet and social capital," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    4. Nicholas Bloom & Raffaella Sadun & John Van Reenen, 2012. "Americans Do IT Better: US Multinationals and the Productivity Miracle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(1), pages 167-201, February.
    5. Alberto Abadie, 2005. "Semiparametric Difference-in-Differences Estimators," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 72(1), pages 1-19.
    6. Nadiri, M Ishaq & Mamuneas, Theofanis P, 1994. "The Effects of Public Infrastructure and R&D Capital on the Cost Structure and Performance of U.S. Manufacturing Industries," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(1), pages 22-37, February.
    7. Kausik Chaudhuri & S. N Rajesh Raj & Subash Sasidharan, 2018. "Broadband Adoption and Firm Performance: Evidence from Informal Sector Firms in India," Working Papers id:12744, eSocialSciences.
    8. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    9. Emmanouil Tranos & Elizabeth A. Mack, 2016. "Broadband Provision and Knowledge-Intensive Firms: A Causal Relationship?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(7), pages 1113-1126, July.
    10. Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan & Bent Sorensen & Carolina Villegas-Sanchez & Vadym Volosovych & Sevcan Yesiltas, 2015. "How to Construct Nationally Representative Firm Level Data from the Orbis Global Database: New Facts and Aggregate Implications," NBER Working Papers 21558, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Fabling, Richard & Grimes, Arthur, 2021. "Picking up speed: Does ultrafast broadband increase firm productivity?," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    12. Kolko, Jed, 2012. "Broadband and local growth," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 100-113.
    13. Edquist, Harald & Goodridge, Peter & Haskel, Jonathan & Li, Xuan & Lindquist, Edward, 2018. "How important are mobile broadband networks for the global economic development?," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 16-29.
    14. DeStefano, Timothy & Kneller, Richard & Timmis, Jonathan, 2018. "Broadband infrastructure, ICT use and firm performance: Evidence for UK firms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 110-139.
    15. Nina Czernich & Oliver Falck & Tobias Kretschmer & Ludger Woessmann, 2011. "Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(552), pages 505-532, May.
    16. Sørensen, Bent E & Kalemli-Özcan, Sebnem & Volosovych, Vadym & Villegas-Sanchez, Carolina & Yesiltas, Sevcan, 2015. "How to construct nationally representative firm level data from the ORBIS global database," CEPR Discussion Papers 10829, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Cambini, Carlo & Grinza, Elena & Sabatino, Lorien, 2023. "Ultra-fast broadband access and productivity: Evidence from Italian firms," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    2. Anil Rupasingha & John Pender & Ryan Williams, 2024. "Broadband and rural development: Impacts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Broadband Initiatives Program on saving and creating jobs," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(2), pages 698-721, April.
    3. Carlo Cambini & Lorien Sabatino, 2023. "Digital highways and firm turnover," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 673-713, October.
    4. Falk, Martin & Hagsten, Eva, 2021. "Impact of high-speed broadband access on local establishment dynamics," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(4).
    5. Yifeng Philip Chen & Edward J. Oughton & Jakub Zagdanski & Maggie Mo Jia & Peter Tyler, 2023. "Crowdsourced data indicates broadband has a positive impact on local business creation," Papers 2308.14734, arXiv.org.
    6. Fabling, Richard & Grimes, Arthur, 2021. "Picking up speed: Does ultrafast broadband increase firm productivity?," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    7. Philip Chen & Edward J Oughton & Pete Tyler & Mo Jia & Jakub Zagdanski, 2020. "Evaluating the impact of next generation broadband on local business creation," Papers 2010.14113, arXiv.org.
    8. Anwar Adem & Richard Kneller & Cher Li, 2023. "Information constraints and technology efficiency: Field experiments benchmarking firms website performance," Discussion Papers 2023-07, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    9. Bauer, Anahid & Feir, Donn. L. & Gregg, Matthew T., 2022. "The tribal digital divide: Extent and Explanations," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9).
    10. Jung, Juan & López-Bazo, Enrique, 2020. "On the regional impact of broadband on productivity: The case of Brazil," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1).
    11. Gómez-Barroso, José Luis & Marbán-Flores, Raquel, 2020. "Telecommunications and economic development – The 21st century: Making the evidence stronger," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2).
    12. Biedny, Christina & Whitacre, Brian E. & Van Leuven, Andrew J., 2024. "Do Gigabits Mean Business? “Ultra-Fast” broadband availability's effect on business births," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    13. Tranos, Emmanouil & Kitsos, Tasos & Wolf, Levi John, 2024. "Fast and furious: the productivity effects of the geography of experienced internet speeds," OSF Preprints va375, Center for Open Science.
    14. Hang Thu Nguyen-Phung & Miki Kohara & Secil Er, 2024. "The impact of ICT development on female employment and household’s well-being in Vietnam," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 75(4), pages 951-978, December.
    15. Abdulqadir, Idris A. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "The asymmetric effect of internet access on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 44-61.
    16. Klein, Daniel & Ludwig, Christopher A. & Nicolay, Katharina, 2020. "Internal digitalization and tax-efficient decision making," ZEW Discussion Papers 20-051, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    17. Chu Ping Lo, 2024. "Digitalization, AI Intensity, and International Trade," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 25(1), pages 251-273, May.
    18. Abrardi, Laura & Sabatino, Lorien, 2023. "Ultra-broadband investment and economic resilience: Evidence from the Covid-19 pandemic," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(2).
    19. Crescioli, Tommaso, 2024. "Reinforcing each other: How the combination of European and domestic reforms increased competition in liberalized industries," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    20. Oughton, Edward J. & Amaglobeli, David & Moszoro, Marian, 2023. "What would it cost to connect the unconnected? Estimating global universal broadband infrastructure investment," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10).

    More about this item

    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:worlde:v:47:y:2024:i:4:p:1642-1681. 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=0378-5920 .

    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.