US infrastructure plan will narrow digital divide

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Public Utilities ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Back Seat ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Policy Priority

Significance However, like many other important sections in the bill, the funding for new digital infrastructure has been cut drastically. Although digital access is a policy priority, it took a back seat to other, more visible priorities such as bridges. Impacts Local and state governments will take the lead on planning and implementing new digital infrastructure programmes. Companies may reduce their overseas digital infrastructure investment if domestic opportunities promise lower risk and higher returns. Public utilities may lead on developing digital infrastructure in the most rural areas.

Wireless technologies and policies for connecting rural areas in emerging countries: a case study in rural Peru

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 479-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Espinoza ◽  
David Reed
Keyword(s):  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Emerging Countries ◽  
Base Stations ◽  
Wireless Technologies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Broadband Services ◽  
Engineering Cost

Purpose This paper aims to compare the costs of deploying different wireless terrestrial broadband technologies in the Andes and Amazon Regions of Peru. These areas are representatives of different and challenging geographic regions throughout the globe that currently are severely underserved or unserved for vital broadband services necessary to bridge the “Digital Divide”. Design/methodology/approach The broadband technologies studied include Wi-Fi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), long term evolution (LTE), TVWS and new stratospheric platforms (super-pressure balloons). This study conducts a technical analysis (design and simulation) of wireless broadband networks, and a bottom-up engineering cost analysis to estimate and compare the deployment and operating costs of the networks over a 10-year period. The analysis also identifies potential regulatory barriers to deployment associated with spectrum allocation licenses and overbooking requirements intended to improve quality of service. Findings Comparison of the capital and operating expenses of these options over a 10-year period finds that LTE and Wi-Fi can be the lowest cost alternatives, though significantly, stratospheric balloons have the lowest initial costs for the first few years and can factor as a low-cost broadband catalyst early in deployment. Finally, the lowest cost technology broadband roadmap for the 10-year period is presented, which includes using stratospheric balloons (carrying micro-LTE base stations) for the first years and deploying complementary terrestrial LTE networks for the rest of the 10-year period. Originality/value This study presents detailed technical and engineering cost analysis results of wireless access network deployments, including advanced wireless technologies and new unmanned aerial systems, to expand broadband services to rural areas in mountainous (Andes Region) and rainforest (Amazon Region) geographies to reduce the digital divide in emerging countries. Results aim to aid governments, regulators, internet service providers (incumbents and competitive) and content providers to assess current alternatives to expand broadband service in these rural areas.

Modi will lose much rural support

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Population ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
General Election ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Agricultural Output ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bharatiya Janata Party ◽  
Education And Employment ◽  
Farm Debt

Significance As the 2019 general election approaches, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to secure the backing of India’s rural population, which is some two-thirds of the country’s total. Modi has encouraged state governments to waive farm debt worth up to 2.8 trillion rupees (39 billion dollars); suggested a procurement formula guaranteeing farmers a return of at least 1.5 times their costs of production; and promised to double farm incomes by 2022. Meanwhile, landowning castes are increasingly demanding opportunities in education and employment away from rural areas. Impacts State governments will try to pay off farm debts by issuing bonds. In election campaigning, opposition parties will claim to champion rural interests. An average 2018 monsoon should boost agricultural output.

Pandemic dampens South-east Asia's digital agenda

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Healthcare Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Digital Development

Significance Although internet use in the region fell slightly after lockdown conditions were lifted, it is still above pre-pandemic levels. Yet the region’s digital divide is extensive. Within ASEAN, only Singapore is considered to have fully developed digital infrastructure, with its financial, healthcare, education and transport sectors digitised. Impacts ASEAN’s attempt, led by Thailand, to formulate common rules on digital taxes and content verification will falter. The pandemic will make Cambodia and Laos more dependent on Chinese aid for digital development. Japan and Australia are set to become important technology partners to South-east Asia.

Decreasing work-related movement during a pandemic. Location analytics and the implications of the digital divide

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Taylor ◽  
Rickey Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Positive Externalities ◽  
Travel Restrictions

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of digital infrastructure in supporting compliance with travel restrictions. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of digital infrastructure in supporting compliance with travel restrictions. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world have issued “stay-at-home” orders and curtailed a variety of economic activities. As countries have adopted aggressive policies to limit the spread of COVID-19, varying levels of national infrastructure to provide internet access have limited some nations’ ability to reduce travel requirements. As national policies struggle to address public health issues, location analytics enabled by big data provide unique insights regarding the efficacy of digital infrastructure. These insights can provide valuable tools to public health officials and regulators in understanding how health recommendations are implemented within an economy. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzes mobile phone movement data during the first half of 2020 and finds that countries that provided greater access to internet capabilities were better able to reduce work-related mobility. Findings This study’s findings indicate that greater levels of digital infrastructure may better prepare countries to adapt to societal disruptions such as COVID-19. Practical implications This study’s findings demonstrate that public health controls regarding movement and person-to-person interaction are less likely to be effective in nations with weaker digital infrastructure, even after accounting for variation attributable to gross domestic product (GDP) and pandemic severity. This could limit public health options in developing countries when faced with future socially disruptive events and encourage national investment in digital infrastructure. Social implications This study’s findings highlight positive externalities associated with reducing the digital divide. Developing better digital business infrastructure globally may reduce human exposure to future pandemic risks. Originality/value This research demonstrates the practical development implications of analysis of aggregate data widely available through mobile technology. As institutions develop techniques to ethically and effectively analyze this data, greater opportunities to support economic development may be revealed.

Digital trade facilitation and bilateral trade in selected Asian countries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Normaz Wana Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Trade Facilitation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Effect Model ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Trade Partners

Purpose Digital technology is gaining attention among many scholars as a way to facilitate trade. This study aims to investigate three important digital dimensions (DD), namely, digital infrastructure, digital usage and digital security on trade using selected Asian countries and 20 selected trade partners. Digital infrastructure focussed on the availability and accessibility of digital infrastructure in exporting and importing countries. The second dimension, digital usage, highlights the importance of household usage of mobile phones, broadband data and the internet. Finally, the third dimension focusses on digital security as many online transactions occur across the globe. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the gravity model to investigate the impact of DD as tools to facilitate trade in selected Asian countries with selected trading partners between 2003 and 2017. The Hausman test is used to determine whether to use the random effect model or fixed effect model. However, for robustness, the Hausman and Taylor estimation is used to allow the time-invariant model to be included and at the same time to remove correlations between the error terms. Findings The result of this study confirmed that having digital infrastructure is not sufficient for trade facilitation, but it must be supported with an intensity of use by businesses and consumers and be accompanied by strong internet security for trade. The study also revealed that a narrowing digital divide in terms internet users and security will be a benefit to both trade partners in a transaction through better and efficient trade facilitation. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature in three ways. First, the classification of DD is used to identify which dimensions need to be addressed for policymakers. Most studies focussed on the first two dimensions without including security dimensions. Second, the authors estimate digital trade facilitation variables for both exporters and importers to ensure unbiased results between two trade partners. Finally, this study introduces new variables in the analysis of the digital user gap and the digital security gap as indicators for the digital divide.

Internet Village Motoman Project in rural Cambodia: bridging the digital divide

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Meiling Luo ◽  
Sophea Chea
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Organizational Setting ◽  
Wireless Internet ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World

Purpose Community wireless networking has become a growing trend in both metropolitan and rural areas around the world. However, few studies have sought to understand what motivates people to use community wireless networks and the unintended effects that those technologies have on communities, particularly for rural users. The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits and usage of an asynchronous wireless internet system in a rural village of Cambodia to examine the issues and challenges in the acceptance of a new technology in a less-developed country. Design/methodology/approach By employing qualitative methods of in-depth case analysis, the authors revealed various usage motivations and unintended effects of the system. Findings The authors identified five reasons that motivated users to use the system: avowed identity, a means to an end, maintaining personal ties, power and influence, and psychological commitment and ownership. The unintended effects of the system included increased number of interactions among actors and other uses of the system, including internet commerce, telemedicine, and e-government. Research limitations/implications This study explores the wireless internet project known as the “Internet Village Motoman Project” that was initiated by a non-governmental organization with funding from private donors, supplemented with matching funds from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Originality/value This study contributes to the academic understanding of rural regions of Cambodia and its evidence supports the current theoretical assumptions that user behaviors are not determined only by users’ decisions alone (as proposed by traditional cognitive IS research), but also by users and their social interactions as stated in the four-dimensional social actor framework proposed by Lamb and Kling (2003). The latter provides better explanation of the motivation for internet use in the region. The theoretical contribution of this study is the useful adoption of the actor-network approach in a non-organizational setting. The findings also contribute to the literature on how practical internet engineering can bridge the digital divide. Fulfilling the needs identified in the research and understanding unintended effects of the system will contribute to the successful implementation of new internet projects in other rural areas.

A bigger bang for the public buck

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Chen
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Transportation Infrastructure ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Highway Infrastructure ◽  
State Highway ◽  
Parametric Data ◽  
Low Efficiency

PurposeIt is well known that public infrastructure, particularly the transportation infrastructure sector, is notorious for low efficiency, spending waste and corruption. Achieving the efficiency of public infrastructure investment is a crucial element to improve the current deteriorating condition of American transportation infrastructure system. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThis research utilizes an input-oriented, variable return to scale non-parametric data envelopment analysis to estimate the relative cost efficiency of highway infrastructure investment among the 48 American continental states from 1995 to 2009.FindingsThe empirical results reveal that there is a large efficiency variation among state highway infrastructure systems.Practical implicationsIn addition, state governments on average reach 95.8 percent of the efficiency of their best practice peers in terms of providing quality highway infrastructure outcomes.

Modi's plan to revamp railways faces major obstacles

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Central India ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Metro Systems ◽  
The Impact

Significance This priority is reflected in the government's economic agenda where the railways figure prominently. Besides proposals for new lines, metro systems and even bullet trains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting a special freight corridor spanning the entire subcontinent. Designed to encourage technological innovation, develop rural areas and speed up traffic, the corridor seeks 90 billion dollars in new investment. Impacts Railway expansion would alleviate coal feedstock shortages, reducing the impact of power cuts on growth. Additional Japanese infrastructure investment will aid Tokyo's agenda of countering China's financial sway in developing Asia. Frequent Maoist attacks on railways could dampen investor appetite, but this risk is concentrated in eastern and central India.

Western tech firms will expand in South-east Asia

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Cloud Services ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
The Internet ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Us South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Infrastructure

Significance Although several countries, including Thailand and Vietnam, also have laws which restrict the internet -- and affect foreign tech companies through data localisation and other requirements -- Western companies are inclined to downplay this aspect of the region’s tech sector. Impacts The new US infrastructure plan, which has USD65bn earmarked for digital infrastructure investment, may dampen US tech investment overseas. A potential US-South-east Asia digital trade agreement would not prioritise human rights. US and Chinese firms will compete for cloud services contracts in the region.

scholarly journals Rural perspectives on digital innovation: Experiences from small enterprises in the Nordic countries and Latvia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Randall ◽  
◽  
Louise Ormstrup Vestergård ◽  
Mari Wøien Meijer
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Geographical Distance ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Considerable Potential ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Digital Knowledge

Digitalisation holds considerable potential for rural areas. It offers thepromise of overcoming geographical distance, ensuring equal access toopportunity regardless of where people live. At the same time, rural andsparsely populated areas are thought to lag behind their urban counterpartswhen it comes to the provision of digital infrastructure and the developmentof digital knowledge and skills. These urban-rural disparities areoften referred to as the digital divide and can prevent rural communitiesfrom unlocking the opportunities associated with digitalisation.

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