Explores broadband adoption and the digital divide through a global perspective. Presents research on constructs such as relative advantage, utilitarian outcomes, hedonic outcomes, and service quality. Provides multicultural insight into what factors influence consumers' decisions to adopt broadband.
After broadband access, what next? What role do metrics play in understanding “information societies”? And, more important, in shaping their policies? Beyond counting people with broadband access, how can economic and social metrics inform broadband policies, help evaluate their outcomes, and create useful models for achieving national goals? This timely volume not only examines the traditional questions about broadband, like availability and access, but also explores and evaluates new metrics more applicable to the evolving technologies of information access. Beyond Broadband Access brings together a stellar array of media policy scholars from a wide range of disciplines—economics, law, policy studies, computer science, information science, and communications studies. Importantly, it provides a well-rounded, international perspective on theoretical approaches to databased communications policymaking in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Showcasing a diversity of approaches, this invaluable collection helps to meet myriad challenges to improving the foundations for communications policy development.
This book provides an up-to-date account of the technologies, organizations and dynamics which constitute the digital economy, and assesses the impacts they have on regions and communities.
Innovation in information and communication technology (ICT) fuels the growth of the global economy. How ICT markets evolve depends on politics and policy, and since the 1950s periodic overhauls of ICT policy have transformed competition and innovation. For example, in the 1980s and the 1990s a revolution in communication policy (the introduction of sweeping competition) also transformed the information market. Today, the diffusion of Internet, wireless, and broadband technology, growing modularity in the design of technologies, distributed computing infrastructures, and rapidly changing business models signal another shift. This pathbreaking examination of ICT from a political economy perspective argues that continued rapid innovation and economic growth require new approaches in global governance that will reconcile diverse interests and enable competition to flourish. The authors (two of whom were architects of international ICT policy reforms in the 1990s) discuss this crucial turning point in both theoretical and practical terms.
Access to broadband connectivity is a country s passport to the global information society and knowledge economy the future. However, the adoption and use of broadband technology today remains extremely uneven and threatens to create a new digital divide. At the end of 2009, countries in North America and the European Union accounted for more than 50 percent of the world s 1 billion fixed and mobile broadband subscriptions, but South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa together accounted for less than 3 percent. The experience with mobile telephony though shows the potential for growth in the information and communication technology sector in developing countries. Almost 75 percent of the world s mobile telephone subscriptions are in low- and middle-income countries, which have also promoted exciting innovations and realized significant economic development benefits. In fact, a growing number of countries are seeking to spur broadband development. To aid governments as they design their own programs, this volume offers examples and ideas from some of the most successful broadband markets: particularly the Republic of Korea, but also Finland, France, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 'Building Broadband' does not suggest a universal solution but rather provides a long list of policies and programs organized within a strategic framework that allows solutions tailored to country circumstances. The essential building blocks identified are useful everywhere because they focus on improving incentives and the climate for private investment. This is a policy that even countries with very limited resources will be able to exploit.
In an era where digital connectivity is as essential as electricity, "The Broadband Battle: Wireless vs. Fiber" offers an in-depth exploration of the two leading technologies that drive the modern internet—wireless broadband and fiber optic networks. This book is a thorough investigation into the technological, economic, and social dimensions of this ongoing competition, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of how these technologies shape our world... What the Book Covers: Historical Context: The book begins by tracing the evolution of broadband technology, from the early days of dial-up to the emergence of high-speed internet. It sets the stage for understanding the rise of wireless and fiber as the primary means of delivering broadband connectivity. Technical Breakdown: Readers will gain insight into the workings of both wireless and fiber technologies. The book explains how wireless networks, including 5G, transmit data through radio waves, and how fiber optics use light to achieve unparalleled speed and reliability. The pros and cons of each technology are analyzed, helping readers grasp their strengths and limitations. Infrastructure and Deployment: The book delves into the complexities of building and maintaining broadband infrastructure. It discusses the challenges of deploying wireless networks, such as the need for extensive cell tower networks and spectrum management, versus the labor-intensive process of laying fiber optic cables and addressing the last mile problem. Economic and Social Impact: The choice between wireless and fiber has significant economic implications. This book examines the costs of deployment, the impact on consumer pricing, and how these technologies affect the digital divide. It also explores how broadband access influences economic development, job creation, and societal progress. Future Trends: As technology continues to evolve, so does the broadband landscape. The book looks ahead to the future of both wireless and fiber, considering advancements like 6G, terabit-speed fiber, and the role of artificial intelligence in network management. It also touches on the geopolitical stakes of broadband leadership, particularly in the context of global power dynamics. Wireless vs. Fiber: A Comparative Analysis: The book concludes by weighing the case for each technology. While wireless offers mobility and rapid deployment, fiber excels in speed, reliability, and long-term investment potential. The book suggests that the future may not be a zero-sum game but rather a hybrid approach where both technologies coexist and complement each other... Who Should Read This Book? "The Broadband Battle: Wireless vs. Fiber" is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of technology and connectivity. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a professional in the telecom industry, a policymaker, or just a curious reader, this book provides valuable insights into the forces shaping the digital age. It offers a balanced perspective on one of the most critical technological debates of our time, helping readers understand the implications of the choices we make today for the internet of tomorrow.
In this book Takanori Ida introduces the current status of the Japanese broadband services and the recent developments in competition policy and in doing so has developed an econometric model to analyse access demand.
"This research book is a repository for academicians, researchers, and industry practitioners to share and exchange their research ideas, theories, and practical experiences, discuss challenges and opportunities, and present tools and techniques in all aspects of e-business development and management in the digital economy"--Provided by publisher.
After 25 years of industry restructuring, regulatory reform and deregulation across many industrial sectors in many countries, it is an appropriate time to take stock of the impacts of these reforms on consumers, producers and overall economic performance. This book contains the latest thinking on these issues by a distinguished international group of scholars. It s a collection of essays for our time that is well worth reading. Paul L. Joskow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US The most exciting development in the study of regulation in the past quarter century is research on the incentives that are created by the details of the procedures for creating and enforcing regulatory rules. This book brings together a rich collection of studies that collectively advance our understanding of the effect of regulatory governance on the performance of regulated firms, with important lessons about how to design more effective regulatory instruments and processes. Roger G. Noll, Stanford University, US Cycles of poorly-designed or weakly-enforced regulation, disappointing performance and political over-reaction are now familiar to students of regulated industries. Nourished by recent developments in the economics of incentives, including their transaction costs and property rights dimensions, and written by renowned experts in the field, Regulation, Deregulation, Reregulation is a must-read for all those interested in the economics and politics of regulation. A timely book, the publication of which coincides with the designing of a post-subprime regulatory framework for the financial industry. Jean Tirole, Toulouse School of Economics, France Building on Oliver Williamson s original analysis, the contributors introduce new ideas, different perspectives and provide tools for better understanding changes in the approach to regulation, the reform of public utilities, and the complex problems of governance. They draw largely upon a transaction cost approach, highlighting the challenges faced by major economic sectors and identifying critical flaws in prevailing views on regulation. Deeply rooted in sector analysis, the book conveys a central message of new institutional economics: that theory should be continuously confronted by facts, and reformed or revolutionized accordingly. With its emphasis on the institutional embeddedness of regulatory issues and the problems generated by the benign neglect of institutional factors in the reform of major public utilities, this book will provide a wide-ranging audience with challenging views on the dynamics of regulatory approaches. Economists, political scientists, postgraduate students, researchers and policymakers with an interest in institutional economics and economic organization will find the book to be a stimulating and enlightening read.