Technological change and total factor productivity growth: evidence from China's telecommunications industry

The fast-growing telecommunications industry in China has been experiencing dramatic technological change and substantial productivity growth. The actual productivity growth pattern in the sector, however, need to be empirically examined. In this paper, using input and output data at the provincial level, we employ DEA-based Malmquist productivity index to estimate productivity change, technological change, and relative efficiency change in China's telecommunications industry for the period spanning the years from 2011 to 2015. The results show that based on our sample, the productivity improved by 22.9% per annum, which was exclusively due to an average of 25.5% technological progress in the industry production function, while the average efficiency change is slightly negative. Our results also indicate that regions with relatively low levels of telecommunications (and economic) development have a greater chance and ability of enhancing telecommunications productivity growth through technological catch-up. In addition, we find that the industry experienced significantly higher productivity growth and technological progress in the later sample period between 2013 and 2015 than in the early period between 2011 and 2013.