Diffusion Of Internet Research Articles

Analysis of Internet development and internal digital divide by using the “.it” domain names as an indicator: Evidence from Italy

Information Technology is important in daily life, especially was in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even in this period the phenomenon of the digital divide (dd) emerges. This research moves in this direction, studying the evolution of the Internet use in Italy, in three different macro-areas, in more recent times (from 1996 to 2022). To provide a rigorous quantitative approach of the internal dd, different statistical models of diffusion, in particular Logistic, Gompertz and Bass models have been used. In order to analyse the diffusion of the Internet and internal digital divide, the number of “.it “domain names were used as an indicator. From the comparison of the three statistical models applied, resulted that the Internet diffusion in the North is very developed compared to the Centre and South, and although the Centre and the North have a similar trend, the diffusion process is slower in the South. This confirmed the presence of an internal digital divide. A particular result arising from the application of Bass model is that, in Italy, potential users of the Internet are mostly “imitators” with respect to “innovators”. Furthermore, results show the presence of two imitator areas with different behaviors: the imitator area with higher income adopts technology faster, reaching in some times the same levels of Internet penetration of the innovative area and the point of inflection of the diffusion curve less than one year earlier than the innovative area and almost two years earlier than the imitator area with low income. However, the results show that in the long term the North (the area where the innovation coefficient is highest) continues to differentiate itself from the Centre and the South, increasing rather than decreasing the dd. This study can be useful to policymakers in order to take measures to overcome the dd, even in an industrialized country like Italy.

Information and vaccine hesitancy: The role of broadband Internet.

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 vaccine to autism. OLS estimates suggest Internet diffusion led to an increase in vaccination rates. This result is reversed after allowing for endogeneity of Internet access. The effect of Internet diffusion is sizable. A one standard deviation increase in Internet penetration led to around a 20% decrease in vaccination rates. Localities characterized by higher proportions of high skilled individuals and lower deprivation levels had a larger response to Internet diffusion. These findings are consistent with higher skilled and less-deprived parents responding faster to false information that the vaccine could lead to autism.

Broadband Internet and Crime

Abstract This paper empirically investigates the impact of broadband diffusion on crime. I employ state-level data on high-speed Internet penetration and criminal activity in the United States from 2000 to 2012. To tackle the endogeneity of broadband diffusion, I rely on a set of technologically motivated instrumental variables. The outcomes show that the impact of high-speed Internet diffusion on crime is negative and it is not significant for more severe offenses. Concerning the underlying mechanism, I find support for the hypothesis that the broadband-driven crime reduction occurs through a voluntary incapacitation effect, as people change their leisure time allocation by spending more time at home and off the streets. This in turn reduces the availability of criminal opportunities – and crime levels. Finally, my results suggest that the voluntary incapacitation effect concerns both sides of criminal interactions.

Early child health in Africa: do ICT and democracy matter?

This article examines the effect of information and communication technologies (ICT) and democracy on early child health using data from 51 African countries. We first specify and estimate a panel data model using ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares over the period 2001-2019. We apply the Hodrick-Prescott filter before analysis. Our results show that the extension of mobile phone use significantly contributes to the improvement of early child health in Africa. This effect is indifferent to the state or the level of democracy. Also, the internet diffusion plays a positive role in early child health when the democracy environment improves and becomes better. We suggest policies in favour of a large access to ICT tools and internet infrastructure as well as the promotion of democracy in Africa to better prevent infant mortality.

Spatial Internet Spillovers in Manufacturing

Does local internet diffusion spur manufacturing performance in developing countries? To answer this question, we conduct instrumental variable estimations, using repeated cross-section data on 44,073 manufacturing firms from 109 developing and transition economies, and find large positive spillover effects of local email incidence on manufacturing firms sales and sales per worker. This evidence is driven by the local dissemination of email technology within industries rather than across industries. However, further analysis stresses that inter-industry spillovers are actually U-shaped, that is, negative at low email incidence rates but turning positive once incidence reaches approximately 50% of the local universe of firms. This suggests that local internet spillovers across industries are subject to network effects. Last, these threshold effects seem related to the presence of outward-oriented firms, which are known to exhibit higher digital absorptive capacity. Overall, this paper shows that local industrialisation paces may strongly diverge between poorly and highly digitalised environments.

Internet Diffusion and its Implications in India

Internet Diffusion and its Implications in India

Influence of spatial factors on the diffusion of mobile internet in rural areas

In the conditions of the continuing sanctions regime of unfriendly countries, the problem of digital development of Russian society is urgent. Especially important is the digital transformation of rural areas, where the wider introduction of information and communication technologies can neutralize the problems of socio-economic development. One of the constraining factors for the digitalization of the village is the low quality of Internet coverage. The process of diffusion of mobile Internet technology in rural areas was assessed on the materials of the Kaliningrad and Pskov regions according to data from telecom operators for the fourth quarter of 2022. The research methodology included an assessment of the geography of mobile Internet coverage in rural areas and subsequent typologization of rural areas by the level of growth of mobile Internet technology. The key centers of technology distribution in the center-peripheral model are identified. It is shown that the diffusion of mobile Internet occurs hierarchically (from cities and towns towards large villages) and contagiously (in areas adjacent to them). The main drivers of the spread of the Internet have been identified: an increase in Internet speed due to frequency refarming, an improvement in the quality of the Internet with the help of state support.

Political Ignorance and the Internet

Abstract We examine the link between Internet usage and political ignorance. To do so, we construct a novel index measuring individuals’ indifference with respect to political issues, which determines the degree of individual political ignorance. Our descriptive econometric analysis is based on a rich dataset consisting of six surveys of individuals covering the time period 2001–2014 and being representative for the German electorate. The empirical results show that in earlier years of Internet diffusion, there is a negative link between using the Internet and political ignorance. This link changes sign in later years of Internet diffusion. We discuss potential explanations of this observed change in the link such as information overload and the increase in heterogeneity of Internet users.

Mums Go Online: Is the Internet Changing the Demand for Health Care?

Abstract We study the effect of Internet diffusion on childbirth procedures performed in England between 2000 and 2011. We show that broadband Internet access increased cesarean sections (C-sections): mothers living in areas with better Internet access are 2.5% more likely to obtain a C-section. The effect is driven by first-time mothers who are 6% more likely to obtain a C-section. The increased C-section rate is not accompanied by changes in health care outcomes; thus health care costs increased with no corresponding medical benefits. We show evidence documenting the growing importance of the Internet as a source of health-related information.

Going online: Forecasting the impact of websites on productivity and market structure

We develop a unifying framework to investigate the effects of firms' internet presence on productivity and market structure. Using information on website adoption as an indicator of online trading, we treat the decision of entering an e-commerce market equivalent to the decision of entering a foreign market. Our theoretical framework draws from a dynamic model of international trade, which accounts for firms' heterogeneity in productivity levels and in the returns to productivity enhancing investments. We test the predictions of our model using UK and Spanish company account data, over the 1995–2010 period merged with information of companies' online status. The period analysed is associated with the early stage of internet diffusion and our sample countries represent fast (the UK) and slow (Spain) diffusion. Our results show that website adoption is associated with higher productivity growth and with a reduction in market concentration in both countries. The increase in competition operates via a negative selection mechanism, whereby productivity growth is inversely related to the pre-entry productivity levels. We also find that productivity gains decline over time.

The effect of Internet access on body weight: Evidence from China

The Internet has significantly changed people’s daily lives, including their health status. In this paper, we study the health implications of Internet access with a specific focus on body weight. We exploit an Internet speed upgrading project in China and conduct a difference-in-differences analysis, where the treatment intensity depends on cities’ pre-existing Internet infrastructure conditions. We find consistent and robust evidence that increased Internet access reduces the incidence of being overweight. Regarding the mechanisms behind this result, we provide indirect evidence for the information channel, evidenced by improved health behaviors after the project: less engagement in risky health behaviors and increased participation in preventive health services and exercise. Internet diffusion also increases income, supporting the income channel through which the Internet can affect body weight.

The relationship between agritourism and social capital in Italian regions

Agritourism has consistently increased in Italian rural areas since the early 1990s. Social capital is a fundamental pillar in reducing socio-economic marginalisation in rural areas. This study's main purpose was to assess, through two different quantitative approaches, the estimated impact of social capital on the growth of agritourism in all Italian regions from 2010 to 2019. The quantitative model used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to analyse efficiency and a two-stage DEA to analyse the growth of agritourism. Furthermore, machine learning was used to investigate whether some variables—namely crime perception, people at risk of poverty, internet diffusion, and people involved in co-ops—are linked to social capital and the development of agritourism in rural areas of Italy. The findings reveal that social capital for people involved in co-ops has been an important lever in the development of agritourism in Italy; by contrast, the fear of criminality is linked to a low level of social capital and reduces the growth of agritourism.

Forecasting internet diffusion in Italy based on the “.it” domain names metrics

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine the trend over time of the demand for .it domain names.This study first assesses whether there is a phase of growth and expansion or at a point of saturation. Second, this research can be useful also to compare researches that have considered other internet metrics and other models. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes the forecasting methods used to analyze the internet diffusion in Italy. The domain names under the country code top-level domain “.it” have used as metrics. To predict domain names .it the seasonal auto regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model and the Holt-Winters (H-W) methods have been used. Findings The results show that, to predict domain names .it the SARIMA model is better than the H-W methods. According to the findings, notwithstanding the forecast of a growth in domain names, the increase is however limited (about 3%), tending to reach a phase of saturation of the market of domain names .it. Originality/value In general many authors have studied internet diffusion applying statistical models that follow an S-shaped behavior. On the other hand, the more used diffusion models that follow an S-shape not always provide an adequate description of the Internet growth pattern. To achieve this goal, this paper demonstrates how the time series models, in particular SARIMA model and H-W models, fit well in explaining the spread of the internet.

Internet diffusion and interregional digital divide in Russia: trends, factors, and the influence of the pandemic

The demand for digital technologies has been growing due to a shift in the technological and economic paradigm. The need for online services has increased since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. There are significant disparities between Russian regions in the digital technology accessibility and the development of computer skills. In 2020, the Internet diffused rapidly in most regions, although previously, there had been a slowdown. As markets got saturated with digital services, the digital divide between Russian regions narrowed. Overall, the Internet use patterns are consistent with those of the spatial diffusion of innovations. Amongst the leaders, there are regions home to the largest agglomerations and northern territories of Russia, whereas those having a high proportion of rural population lag behind. Coastal and border regions (St. Petersburg, the Kaliningrad region, Karelia, Primorsky Krai, etc.) have better access to the Internet due to their proximity to the centres of technological innovations as well as the high intensity of external relations. Leading regions have an impact on their neighbours through spatial diffusion. Econometrically, access to the Internet depends on income, the average age and level of education, and its use depends on the business climate and Internet accessibility factors. Regional markets are gradually getting more saturated with digital services and technologies. The difference between regions in terms of access to the Internet is twofold, whereas, in terms of digital technology use, the gap is manifold. In many regions, the share of online commerce, which became the driver of economic development during the lockdown, is minimal. Based on the results of the study, several recommendations have been formulated.

Effect of Residential Broadband Internet Diffusion on Industry Composition: Evidence from Japan

Effect of Residential Broadband Internet Diffusion on Industry Composition: Evidence from Japan

The Role of Internet Diffusion in Industrial Structure Upgrading: Evidence from China

The Role of Internet Diffusion in Industrial Structure Upgrading: Evidence from China

Informal we stand? The role of social progress around the world

Social progress has increased around the world. Can it be considered a strategic tool to shrink the informal sector? Using data for 156 countries over the last 30 years, we find that social progress - measured though the Human Development Index (HDI) - exerts a strong negative impact on informal economy (IE). However, this impact diminishes for higher levels of social progress, depicting a non-linear relationship, and it is mainly driven by the income and health components of HDI, whereas the education component does not play a significant role. Among the mechanisms possibly affecting the investigated relationship, we focus on political corruption and the spread of internet as opposite factors at work. While the ‘virtuous’ effect of social progress on IE holds even in presence of high political corruption, it vanishes when the internet diffusion increases.

ROLE OF ICT IN E-COMMERCE BUSINESS EMERGING

Role of ICT in E-Commerce Business developing are inseparable terms as the e-commerce industry is absolutely dependent on ICT and e-commerce for its operations and intensification. E-commerce is referred to as application of ICT in business and E- commerce. ICT is term which involves usage of computers, including hardware, software, application and networks used to communicate, store and cover the requisite information. The concept of e–Business has been evolving since a number of years and is causative to the economic growth of several developing economies. The approaching for the growth of e-commerce in the developing countries is very high but ICT being the precondition, lack of ICT infrastructure hampers the rate of its growth. The growth of e- commerce is primarily dependent upon the boost in ICT infrastructure. The Smart mobile phone market and Internet diffusion has proved to be a catalyst for growth of ecommerce industry. This paper focus to discuss the role of ICT and ecommerce its services in driving ecommerce industry in developing countries like India and the shift from e-commerce to commerce in large scale in the near future.

Introducing an Intelligent Goods Service Framework

With the increasing diffusion of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the transportation of goods sector is in a position to adopt novel intelligent services that cut across the otherwise highly fragmented and heterogeneous market, which today consists of a myriad of actors. Legacy systems that rely upon direct integration between all actors involved in the transportation ecosystem face considerable challenges for information sharing. Meanwhile, IoT based services, which are designed as devices that follow goods and communicate directly to cloud-based backend systems, may provide services that previously were not available. For the purposes of this paper, we present a theoretical framework for classification of such intelligent goods systems based on a literature study. The framework, labelled as the Intelligent Goods Service (IGS) framework, aims at increasing the understanding of the actors, agents, and services involved in an intelligent goods system, and to facilitate system comparisons and the development of new innovative solutions. As an illustration of how the IGS framework can be used and contribute to research in this area, we provide an example from a direct industry-academia collaboration.

Broadband Internet and Income Inequality

Abstract Digital technologies like the Internet can affect income inequality through increased demand for employment in manual and abstract jobs and reduced demand for employment in routine jobs. In this paper, we combine city-level income distribution and jobs data with broadband data from France to investigate the impact of broadband Internet access on income inequality. Using an instrumental variable estimation strategy, we find that broadband Internet reduces income inequality through increased employment in manual jobs. These effects increase with the availability of skilled workers and are significant in cities with a large service sector or high-speed Internet access. Further, the diffusion of broadband Internet comes with relatively greater benefits in low-income cities compared to high-income cities. Several robustness checks support these findings.