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The paper aims to explore the long-term prospects of mobile broadband adoption in a developing country. The supply-side and demand-side policy measures are recommended to counter the challenges to broadband adoption.

Methodologically, this study uses document analysis to explain secondary data including growth statistics, trade literature and previous scholarly research. Based on the growth statistics of broadband and the informed market insights, the research discusses the prevailing market threats and recommends counter measures to improve the long-term prospects of broadband propagation.

The growth of mobile broadband is settling down in Pakistan due to various barriers like cost, literacy, security and unavailability of local content. Collaborative efforts are required by the government, the service providers and the people to enhance the adoption of broadband service and secure economic benefits of the broadband.

The research offers useful implications for managers and policymakers in Asian and African developing countries; the policy measures discussed here may serve as guidelines for them in the design of their own policies regarding broadband supply and demand.

The study makes an effort to examine the broadband growth in a developing country on the basis of both quantitative and qualitative aspects. The research endeavors to fill the gap on the particular scholarship of research covering potential uptake of broadband services and the effects of constraining elements to broadband adoption in a developing country.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a model to measure the effect of broadband availability on economic growth in developed OECD countries.

The effect of the broadband availability‐related variables on economic growth is analyzed by using cross‐country panel data for 34 OECD countries over the years 1998‐2009. The robustness of the results by the six econometric estimation approaches is compared. The preferable dynamic panel model with the system of Generalized Method of Moments is selected.

The access channels per inhabitant and total broadband per inhabitant have improved over time, but vary across the analysed OECD countries. The improved access channels per inhabitant and gross capital growth (investment) play a positive and significant role in the per‐capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Labour productivity growth has encouraged economic growth positively. These results are robust independently of the estimation procedure.

The authors do not find a positive and significant role of the total broadband per inhabitant on the per‐capita GDP growth. These findings and the results for control variables pertaining to trade openness and inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in the growth equation are biased to the estimation procedure.

The conceptual‐empirical value to the research of new connections made using the key elements of economic growth theory with focus on the effect of the broadband availability, main macroeconomic and economic openness variables on economic growth. This is one of the first studies that, in the growth equation, uses different broadband availability‐related variables, which in addition to gross capital growth, government consumption, and inflation in the adjusted augmented growth model are controlled for labour productivity growth, trade openness, and inward FDI.

The purpose of this paper is to review recent government policy to provide a context for an exploratory study of broadband take up and use by small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Thames Valley region of the UK. In recent years, the business environment has been fundamentally altered by the information and communication revolution that has changed the way in which businesses are created, operated and managed. However, the take up of broadband amongst SMEs remains low. Recent government policy has focussed on stimulating both supply and demand sides of the market for broadband technology as an entry point for SMEs.

The paper discusses the impact of government policy upon the use of broadband by SMEs and considers how occupiers are using and benefiting from the use of broadband.

The research undertaken indicates that government policy promoting broadband take up amongst SMEs has been effective in terms of the achievement of targets. The majority of SMEs in the case study are now equipped with broadband. However, their use of broadband appears to be limited to the more rudimentary uses for communication and searching for information as opposed to advanced applications such as e‐business and marketing.

Current government policy is aimed at promoting ICT for SMEs, but their effectiveness and success is yet to be measured. There is a need for more research in respect of the impact of broadband upon the working practices of SMEs, their business performance and relative competitiveness.

The purpose of this study is to use the structural model to determine the influence of mobile telecommunication on Egypt’s economic growth from 2000 to 2009. By focusing on mobile unique subscribers and mobile broadband-capable device penetration as indicators of telecommunications adoption, the authors seek to understand their overarching effects on the nation’s economic landscape.

The paper uses quarterly time-series data set over the period 2000–2019 and uses a structural econometric model based on an aggregate production function, a demand function, a supply function and an infrastructure function to detect causality and examine long-run relationships between variables.

The findings of the structural model reveal that both mobile unique subscribers and mobile broadband-capable device penetration significantly contributed to Egypt’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 2000 to 2019. Specifically, a 1% increase in mobile unique subscriber penetration and mobile broadband-capable device adoption is estimated to result in an average annual contribution to GDP growth of 0.172% and 0.016%, respectively.

The scarcity of panel data is the main research limitation for comparative study with other Middle East and North African Region (MENA) countries. Research extensions would include testing the significance of complementarities such as improving governance measures and building human capacity for both households and firms, which are necessary to boost the impact of telecommunication on economic growth in the MENA region.

Based on these findings, the study puts forth policy recommendations aimed at maximizing investment in network utilization, including mobile and internet services, as well as fixed broadband subscriptions. It highlights the crucial role of these investments in promoting social and economic development, not only in Egypt but also across the MENA region as a whole.

The findings of this research emphasize the importance of strategic investments in network utilization, encompassing mobile, internet services and fixed broadband subscriptions. Such investments are pivotal for fostering social and financial inclusion. The study underscores the potential of these investments to drive social and economic progress, not just within Egypt but throughout the entire MENA region.

Overall, existing literature generally supports the notion that the telecommunications sector has a positive economic impact. However, there is a gap in the literature when it comes to understanding the specific effects of the Egyptian telecommunications sector on the country’s economy, particularly in relation to the Egypt Vision 2030. The study aims to fill this gap by focusing specifically on Egypt and providing additional insights into the direct and indirect effects of the Egyptian telecommunications sector on the economy. By conducting a thorough analysis of the sector’s role, the authors aim to contribute to the existing literature by providing context-specific findings and recommendations.

This paper intends to promote a re‐consideration of the most appropriate policy framework for implementing the European Union (EU) digital agenda.

The paper examines relevant EU documentation and the related research literature on EU telecommunications reform within a context of economic market theory and policy analysis models.

The liberalization principle driving EU telecommunications reform for the past quarter century has stalled, and may be reversed by the policy framework adopted for implementing the digital agenda. The public sector broadband funding model is likely to be wasteful and ineffective. Other options for implementation should be considered.

This paper examines current EU policy shaping the development of broadband networks and the evolution of the digital economy and information society. It highlights the progress and limitations of EU policy as it has evolved as a reference for implementation of current policy objectives. It will be of value to policy makers, industry analysts and players, as well as researchers in academia and other institutions.

This paper aims to explore how the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) can leverage broadband, as a frontier emerging market, to diversify the economy and promote growth, job creation and productivity. The objective is to analyze the challenges and opportunities of the broadband market and propose policies to boost its development and achieve medium to long-term economic benefits.

The paper uses qualitative and quantitative tools to study the legal and regulatory environment, market structure, competitive dynamics and available services and infrastructure in the KRI. The data and information analyzed were obtained through field research, primary data collection and consultation with government institutions, telecom operators and IT companies.

Obstacles to broadband development in the KRI are barriers to competition, the need for clearer and more transparent policies and regulations and a fragmented market. However, when the right conditions are in place, KRI has the potential to emerge as a regional hub for international broadband connectivity and significantly expand local broadband access.

This paper presents a first-of-its-kind baseline analysis of the telecom sector in the KRI. Very little information is available on the KRI market, which also has not been previously studied separately from the Iraqi market. Based on the fieldwork, the paper relies on region-specific data to analyze the particularity of the market and identify reforms within the prerogative of the regional government.

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether information and communication technologies (ICTs) can move people from the informal to the formal sector. ICTs being multipurpose technologies can provide people with information about education, employment opportunities and government services that may potentially allow them to migrate to the formal sector.

The model includes variables that researchers have found to contribute to the growth of informality, such as the state of the economy, the impact of excessive taxes, the impact of regulation, the level of poverty and, of course, ICT metrics, specifically access to both cell phones and broadband as the main two mechanisms through which individuals in the informal sector can obtain information. The analysis relies on a multiple indicators and multiple causes statistical model, to evaluate the hard-to-measure informal economy. A panel data set of 170 countries covering a period of five years was used.

It was found that ICTs empower people, but such empowerment is not always positive for society. So, while mobile phones reduce transaction costs of informal business, this leads to their growth, as they are only a coordination technology. The empowerment that comes from broadband, meaning greater and deeper access to information and resources, can help reduce this sector of the economy and potentially improve these individuals’ lives as well.

Measurement of the informal sector is a challenge to researchers precisely because it is hidden. This, like other work in this area, relies on estimates from indirect measures of the informal sector. The results are to be interpreted with caution. In addition, given that this research relies on country-level data, any specific policy decision will have to take particular circumstances into consideration to adapt these results to a specific context.

This study is important because of the more nuanced effect found between narrow and broadband technologies with respect to the informal economy and because of its policy implications. Given the results, governments should consider broadband as an additional tool to help individuals make the transition from the informal to the formal sector.

Once an individual who works in the informal sector begins to realize the advantages of moving to the formal sector, it with the help of ICTs. This awareness could potentially lead to a slow but steady migration away from the informal economy that can improve the economic conditions of the population in these countries.

Scholars up to this point have been quite enthusiastic about the benefits of ICTs. In this paper, it was found that the effects are not always positive; a mobile does not help people move away from poverty and, in fact, supports the informal sector. It was found that only broadband can help these entrepreneurs move into the formal sector.

Governments around the world are providing multi‐billion dollar subsidies to roll out fiber to the home (FTTH) to enable superfast broadband (50 Mbps and above). The premise for this is a belief that superfast broadband brings substantial economic and societal benefits. This paper's purpose is to examine whether this belief is well founded.

The authors critically review the arguments most commonly made in favor of FTTH, examining their logic and underlying evidence.

The paper finds that these arguments often inappropriately use benefits of basic broadband to make the case for the upgrade to superfast broadband, or use the benefits of providing superfast to business premises to argue for providing superfast to homes. The authors find the evidence that basic broadband brings economic growth is patchy, and that frequently studies that argue for a link do not adequately distinguish between correlation and causation.

Thus the authors conclude that the conventional wisdom that FTTH will bring substantial economic and societal benefits and therefore deserves a subsidy is, at best, much overstated. The case has simply not been made that FTTH has sufficient incremental externalities over other forms of broadband. This is an important conclusion for politicians, policy makers, telecoms providers and taxpayers, and suggests that billions of dollars of public money may be being wasted.

Government is promoting broadband for all, and specifically, is advocating business up‐take of broadband that affords high‐speed internet activity, to foster global competitiveness. Urban areas have economies of scale and the effect on price of concentration of demand. Rural areas do not, and potential broadband provision is thus problematic. The paper aims to study technology roll‐out in rural areas, and provide a commentary, based on empirical work, on the potential of demand for, and use of, the service.

The paper draws from secondary research sourced from academic papers, government and agency documents to evaluate rural broadband provision, and analyses the suitability of current “solutions”. It also draws together conclusions of various empirical and survey researches on the potential of uptake and business use of broadband.

The paper questions whether broadband access in rural areas has the potential to contribute to economic development. It also identifies the limitations of current broadband technologies, concluding that, in fact, none are appropriate for rural and remote locations. The paper finds that rural businesses tend to lack propensity for growth and diversification; therefore, accessibility for rural businesses may be an issue secondary to that of lack of enterprise in many rural areas. Therefore, efforts to roll out technology to rural areas may not provide results desired or expected.

The value of the paper lies in providing a holistic viewpoint, based on research and technology considerations, from which policy can be informed.

The commonly used internet service provider's (ISP) business models based on price comparison may prove to be a successful strategy for organisations in the short‐term. However, it may be argued that a sustainable business model for the long‐term requires a detailed understanding of the various factors that may help ISPs in attracting future customers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the drivers and barriers of consumer adoption of broadband in the UK.

A survey research approach was utilised to examine the effect of a number of constructs from attitudinal (utilitarian outcomes and hedonic outcomes), normative (social influence), control (self‐efficacy and facilitating conditions resources) and demographic (age) categories on the behaviour of consumers when adopting broadband in the UK.

Results indicate that all the constructs, apart from hedonic outcomes, significantly influenced the adoption behaviour of consumers.

This study provides a snapshot of the adoption behaviour of broadband within UK households. The findings may therefore change as technology becomes established and consumers become more experienced in its use. By undertaking a longitudinal study, the elimination of any variables could achieve anomalies in the obtained results. In addition to a discussion of the findings, the paper outlines the contributions and limitations of the study and provides suggestions for future research activity.

The research presented in this paper is a part of doctoral research which forms one of the initial efforts towards understanding the adoption behaviour of broadband within UK households.