Research Paper 24: Socioeconomic benefits of high-speed broadband availability and service adoption: A Survey

The widespread availability of fast fiber optic and mobile broadband internet is an important goal in the EU and other developed countries. Policymakers want to promote economic growth, productivity and employment, especially in remote regions, and are investing heavily. This report summarizes the research on broadband internet and its impact on the economy and society. The main findings are: The benefits to the economy are clearly high, but the impact diminishes after a certain quality of broadband connection is ensured. The effects on employment are not clear. The positive effects only become apparent after broadband use, not just when broadband connections are available. Moreover, the effects are different for urban and rural areas and for high-skilled and low-skilled workers. Based on these results, we develop recommendations for a cost-effective broadband policy and future subsidy models.

This project was supported by the Jubilee Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.