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Household telecommunications expenditure in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Breunig, Robert
  • McCarthy, Owen

Abstract

Using a mix of survey data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey and the Household Expenditure Survey, we examine the changing nature of telecommunications expenditure in Australia in the period 2006–2015. We show that it behaves like a core necessity such as food. Households with youth or young adults spend more on telecommunications than other households. The elderly and disadvantaged groups spend less. We propose measures to identify low-income households with relatively high or relatively low expenditure on telecommunications. These measures can be used to identify households that potentially have “telecommunications inadequacy” or “unsustainable telecommunications expenditure”.

Suggested Citation

  • Breunig, Robert & McCarthy, Owen, 2020. "Household telecommunications expenditure in Australia," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:44:y:2020:i:1:s0308596118302787
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2019.101837
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert Breunig & Rebecca McKibbin, 2011. "The effect of survey design on household reporting of financial difficulty," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 174(4), pages 991-1005, October.
    2. Madden, Gary & Coble-Neal, Grant, 0. "Internet use in rural and remote Western Australia," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(3-4), pages 253-266, April.
    3. Robert Tanton & Ben Phillips, 2013. "A Measure of the Depth of Housing Stress and its Application in Australia," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 32(1), pages 99-109, March.
    4. Barrantes, Roxana & Galperin, Hernan, 2008. "Can the poor afford mobile telephony? Evidence from Latin America," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 521-530, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Roger Wilkins, 2021. "Economic Wellbeing," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 54(4), pages 469-481, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Australia; Consumption; Telecommunications expenditure; Low-income households;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • I39 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Other

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