Submarine cables enable international connectivity and are essential for high- speed internet access. This paper examines their impact on internet access price, focusing on price reductions driven by cost savings and competition intensity. Using a dataset of submarine cable capacity and internet...

We examine the causal impact of high-speed internet on adult mental health using administrative data from Belgium. We exploit predetermined telecommunications infrastructure and broadband technology's distance-sensitive nature for identification. Our difference-in-differences estimates show...

Public investment in infrastructure is important, but effective prioritization is critical. Not all infrastructure needs subsidies: many projects that are not pure public goods can be privately financed. Germany's subsidized broadband expansion improved coverage but funds were inefficiently...

This work simultaneously evaluates the impact of investment on broadband coverage in rural areas and whether having better broadband coverage affects household internet use by analyzing variables such as the use of electronic commerce, employment opportunities, and interactions with the public...

How does the internet affect young people's mental health? We study this question using administrative data on the universe of cases of mental disorders diagnosed in Italian hospitals between 2001 and 2013, which we combine with broadband internet availability at the municipal level. Broadband...

With the strong growth of the internet the energy consumption of data transmission has dramatically increased. The potential new electrical load represented by this equipment needs to be addressed by EU energy and environmental policies. It is important that the electrical efficiency of...

Access to broadband networks is increasingly an essential enabler to drive the economic and social development of territories, improving access to essential services such as education and contributing to the number of workplaces. The improvement of digital connectivity and Internet network...

The Broadband Coverage in Europe study is designed to monitor the progress of EU Member States towards the gigabit coverage and 5G coverage targets as set out in the Digital Decade Policy programme - namely: 'Gigabit connectivity for all by 2030' and 'at least 5G in all populated areas'. This...

The impacts of information and communications technology (ICT) on national development and wellbeing is a current research issue. By integrating four World Bank datasets and World Happiness Report's global wellbeing dataset, this study analyzes the impacts of ICT on national development and...

This study investigates broadband internet's impact on rural-urban migration in China, using the Universal Broadband and Telecommunication Services pilot program as a quasi-experimental setting. Analyzing China Household Finance Survey data (2013-2021) through difference-in-differences...

This work examines the effect of next-generation broadband on marriage rates among opposite- and same-sex couples in Spain. Given that the decision to sustain a relationship and enter into marriage is influenced by a broad spectrum of opportunities, high-speed broadband access can play a pivotal...

Mobile broadband has enhanced accountability and boosted political turnover by reducing incumbents' electoral advantage. Mobile broadband has also boosted populist movements, widened partisan divides, and fueled misinformation consumption, weakening democratic institutions. Priming for...

This study examined the link between broadband networks, governance, and inclusive growth in Africa and Asia. The motivation arises from the unequal distribution of high-speed broadband in many low-income countries, which risks widening income inequality and increasing poverty. Using panel least...

WIK-Consult wurde gemeinsam mit dem Partner EcoAustria von der Republik Österreich mit der Erstellung des Zwischenevaluierungsberichts der Breitbandinitiative BBA 2030 betraut, der im Dezember 2025 veröffentlicht wurde. Der Evaluationsbericht umfasst die Erörterung telekompolitischer Aspekte,...

Governments worldwide subsidize rural broadband expansion to address the urban-rural connectivity divide, but the economic benefits and costs remain unclear. This paper examines the causal effect of high-speed Internet on real estate prices and evaluates the fiscal effectiveness of rural...

This study compares the impact of using fixed and mobile broadband services and competition in the telecommunications sector on economic growth and labour productivity across 20 countries in Europe and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region from 2015 to 2021. Broadband usage is measured...

The synergistic development of digital transformation and carbon neutrality is a key path to global sustainable development. This study utilized the Broadband China pilot policy and a multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) design to comprehensively evaluate the impact of digital...

The Broadband Coverage in Europe study is designed to monitor the progress of EU Member States towards the gigabit coverage and 5G coverage targets as set out in the Digital Decade Policy programme - namely: 'Gigabit connectivity for all by 2030' and 'at least 5G in all populated areas'. This...

The current study provides comprehensive data on 2022 retail prices of fixed and mobile broadband offers for consumers in the EU27, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Japan, South Korea and the USA. The five largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the three largest Mobile Network...

The current study provides comprehensive data on 2022 retail prices of fixed and mobile broadband offers for consumers in the EU27, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Japan, South Korea and the USA. The five largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the three largest Mobile Network...

With the strong growth of the internet the energy consumption of data transmission has dramatically increased. The potential new electrical load represented by this equipment needs to be addressed by EU energy and environmental policies. It is important that the electrical efficiency of...

We examine the effect of internet diffusion on the uptake of an important public health intervention: the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. We study England between 2000 and 2011 when internet diffusion spread rapidly and there was a high profile medical article (falsely) linking the MMR...

The digital connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region is primarily shaped by the availability of ICT infrastructure, the nature of regulatory policies, and the dynamics of competition among service providers. This paper explores the policies and regulations that affect the costs and accessibility...

Hjort and Poulsen (2019) frames the staggered arrival of submarine Internet cables on the shores of Africa circa 2010 as a difference-in-differences natural experiment. The paper finds positive impacts of broadband on individual- and firm-level employment and nighttime light emissions. These...

We provide an evaluation of the impact of German public subsidy schemes in municipalities of Bavaria and Lower Saxony aimed at supporting the deployment of basic broadband infrastructure in rural Germany. Such subsidies are subject to state aid control by the European Commission and may only be...