Original scientific paper
FACTORS THAT IMPACT INTERNET USE AND ARE SENSITIVE TO INCOME: CROSS-COUNTRY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
Dijana MOČNIK
; Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Maribor
Abstract
This paper examines information and communication
technology (ICT) and socioeconomic indicators associated
with Internet use based on income level across countries.
Although some literature deals with cross-country indicators of
Internet use, no known study quantitatively examines which
indicators are superior or how they differ across countries with
different income level. We extract factors with the most
important indicators and evaluate their impact on Internet use
for four income groups: low, lower middle, upper middle,
and high. The results show that Internet use can be stimulated
by educated people, available computers, telecommunications
connections and increasing income per capita.
However, prices of telecommunications services, international
trade, investment, population density, unemployment rate or
GDP growth rate do not affect Internet use.
Keywords
technology gap; developing countries; digital divide; Internet access; information and communication technology
Hrčak ID:
55396
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2010.
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