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Ability, location and household demand for Internet bandwidth

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  • Savage, Scott James
  • Waldman, Donald M.

Abstract

This paper examines consumer preferences for Internet bandwidth, focusing on technical ability and urban/rural location as sources of preference heterogeneity. An economic model is outlined that shows that ability decreases the effective price of bandwidth. As a result of this decrease, part of the total effect of an increase in ability will always be an increase in the demand for bandwidth. The implication is empirically investigated with an econometric approach that overcomes the limitations of the aggregated data that is currently available to describe consumer preferences. Results show that high-ability, urban consumers are willing to pay a substantive monthly premium for an improvement in bandwidth relative to rural consumers.

Suggested Citation

  • Savage, Scott James & Waldman, Donald M., 2009. "Ability, location and household demand for Internet bandwidth," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 166-174, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:27:y:2009:i:2:p:166-174
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    Cited by:

    1. John Lai & Nicole O. Widmar & Courtney Bir, 2020. "Eliciting Consumer Willingness to Pay for Home Internet Service: Closing the Digital Divide in the State of Indiana," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 263-282, June.
    2. Julian Hidalgo & Michelle Sovinsky, 2023. "Internet (Power) to the People: How to Bridge the Digital Divide," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2023_461, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    3. Urama, Nathaniel E. & Ogbu, Osita, 2018. "Evaluating consumer perception and willingness to pay for broadband in Nigeria," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 421-432.
    4. Andre Boik & Shane Greenstein & Jeffrey Prince, 2016. "The Empirical Economics of Online Attention," NBER Working Papers 22427, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Rosston Gregory L. & Savage Scott J & Waldman Donald M, 2010. "Household Demand for Broadband Internet in 2010," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-45, September.
    6. Chen, Zhihong & Chen, Zhiqi, 2024. "Impact of access regulation on investment reconsidered," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    7. Dolente, Cosimo & Galea, John Joseph & Leporelli, Claudio, 2010. "Next Generation Access and Digital Divide: Opposite Sides of the Same Coin?," 21st European Regional ITS Conference, Copenhagen 2010: Telecommunications at new crossroads - Changing value configurations, user roles, and regulation 9, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    8. Sean Lyons, 2014. "Timing and determinants of local residential broadband adoption: evidence from Ireland," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 1341-1363, December.
    9. repec:ags:aaea22:335602 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Sadowski, Bert M., 2017. "Advanced users and the adoption of high speed broadband: Results of a living lab study in the Netherlands," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 1-14.
    11. Stephen McDonald & Colin Wren, 2017. "Consumer Search Ability, Price Dispersion and the Digital Divide," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 79(2), pages 234-250, April.
    12. Aron Debra J. & Ingraham Allan T., 2012. "The Effects of Legacy Pricing Regulation on Adoption of Broadband Service in the United States," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 11(4), pages 1-38, December.
    13. Omorobi Garieth Omorobi & Eton Idorenyin Clement & Chuktu Onyinye, 2021. "Digital Divide and Online Instruction Delivery Readiness Among Nigerian Universities in an Era of COVID-19," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, vol. 7(4), pages 177-186, 12-2021.
    14. Khanal, Aditya R. & Mishra, Ashok K., 2013. "Assessing the Impact of Internet Access on Household Income and Financial Performance of Small Farms," 2013 Annual Meeting, February 2-5, 2013, Orlando, Florida 143019, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    15. Liu, Yu-Hsin & Prince, Jeffrey & Wallsten, Scott, 2018. "Distinguishing bandwidth and latency in households’ willingness-to-pay for broadband internet speed," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-15.
    16. Kim, Yongwon & Kim, Yongkyu, 2020. "The Value of Wi-Fi as Entertainment: An Application to Free Wi-Fi in City Buses of Korea," ITS Conference, Online Event 2020 224863, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    17. Srinuan, Chalita & Bohlin, Erik, 2011. "Understanding the digital divide: A literature survey and ways forward," 22nd European Regional ITS Conference, Budapest 2011: Innovative ICT Applications - Emerging Regulatory, Economic and Policy Issues 52191, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    18. Worden, David & Hambly, Helen, 2022. "Willingness to pay and pricing for broadband across the rural/urban divide in Canada," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(2).

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