Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103038
Lulu Zhao , Jingjing Ye , Kaichao Shao
Whether the digital economy promotes inclusive growth or exacerbates socio-economic disparities remains a central question in contemporary academic discourse. At the heart of this debate lies the extent to which individuals or households possess the digital capability to access and convert digital dividends into tangible economic gains. Utilizing data from the 2015 and 2017 waves of the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), this study empirically investigates the impact of digital economic development on household income inequality and explores the moderating role of digital capability disparities. The results indicate that digital economic expansion tends to widen income inequality among households, with this effect significantly intensified by gaps in digital capability. Further analysis reveals that disparities in digital access and usage exert a stronger moderating effect than gaps in digital creation, highlighting the foundational role of basic digital capabilities in shaping income distribution. Heterogeneity analysis further demonstrates that household endowments—such as material, human, and social capital—substantially influence the effectiveness with which digital capabilities are transformed into economic returns. Households with weaker resource endowments are more vulnerable to a dual trap of digital exclusion and economic disadvantage.
{"title":"Digital empowerment and economic equity: Exploring the impact of household digital capability on income inequality","authors":"Lulu Zhao , Jingjing Ye , Kaichao Shao","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Whether the digital economy promotes inclusive growth or exacerbates socio-economic disparities remains a central question in contemporary academic discourse. At the heart of this debate lies the extent to which individuals or households possess the digital capability to access and convert digital dividends into tangible economic gains. Utilizing data from the 2015 and 2017 waves of the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), this study empirically investigates the impact of digital economic development on household income inequality and explores the moderating role of digital capability disparities. The results indicate that digital economic expansion tends to widen income inequality among households, with this effect significantly intensified by gaps in digital capability. Further analysis reveals that disparities in digital access and usage exert a stronger moderating effect than gaps in digital creation, highlighting the foundational role of basic digital capabilities in shaping income distribution. Heterogeneity analysis further demonstrates that household endowments—such as material, human, and social capital—substantially influence the effectiveness with which digital capabilities are transformed into economic returns. Households with weaker resource endowments are more vulnerable to a dual trap of digital exclusion and economic disadvantage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103038"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Digital transformation is recognized as a critical enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), influencing approximately 70 % of their targets. While the literature often focuses on the effects of digitalization, it tends to overlook the core content and strategic focus of regional and national digitalization policies. As a result, the specific domains through which countries are advancing digital transformation—and the areas they aim to digitalize—remain unclear. This neglect obscures a concrete understanding of what is actually being digitalized and for which purposes, leaving a critical and underexplored area of research with significant implications for policy design and implementation. This study presents a comprehensive, multi-scale content analysis of 188 countries' Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), assessing how digitalization policies are articulated and operationalized across global, regional, and income-based classifications. The results indicate that high-income countries tend to embed digital tools within a wide range of societal sectors—including health, justice, culture, and education—reflecting an integrative vision of digitalization that goes beyond infrastructure. Conversely, LMICs largely emphasize foundational digital infrastructure, potentially reinforcing structural inequalities and exacerbating the digital divide. Geographically, the results highlight that localized digital strategies, informed by regional dynamics, cultural contexts, and developmental priorities, offer more nuanced insights than economic groupings alone. The study underscores the importance of inclusive digital governance frameworks that prioritize equity, social justice, and context-sensitive innovation while it contributes to interdisciplinary debates on the socio-technical dimensions of digital transformation and its role in fostering sustainable and inclusive development.
{"title":"Shifting digital priorities for the SDGs: A global analysis on economic and geographic scales","authors":"Volkan Göçoğlu , Atahan Demirkol , Elifnur Düzsöz , İpek Didem Göçoğlu","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital transformation is recognized as a critical enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), influencing approximately 70 % of their targets. While the literature often focuses on the effects of digitalization, it tends to overlook the core content and strategic focus of regional and national digitalization policies. As a result, the specific domains through which countries are advancing digital transformation—and the areas they aim to digitalize—remain unclear. This neglect obscures a concrete understanding of what is actually being digitalized and for which purposes, leaving a critical and underexplored area of research with significant implications for policy design and implementation. This study presents a comprehensive, multi-scale content analysis of 188 countries' Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), assessing how digitalization policies are articulated and operationalized across global, regional, and income-based classifications. The results indicate that high-income countries tend to embed digital tools within a wide range of societal sectors—including health, justice, culture, and education—reflecting an integrative vision of digitalization that goes beyond infrastructure. Conversely, LMICs largely emphasize foundational digital infrastructure, potentially reinforcing structural inequalities and exacerbating the digital divide. Geographically, the results highlight that localized digital strategies, informed by regional dynamics, cultural contexts, and developmental priorities, offer more nuanced insights than economic groupings alone. The study underscores the importance of inclusive digital governance frameworks that prioritize equity, social justice, and context-sensitive innovation while it contributes to interdisciplinary debates on the socio-technical dimensions of digital transformation and its role in fostering sustainable and inclusive development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103032"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103034
Charles Yédéhou Faton , Djohodo Inès Monwanou
The objective of this work is to analyze the impact of mobile money on the economic empowerment of women in Benin. To achieve this objective, we used data from FineScope (2018) on 3687 women in Benin. Descriptive statistics and a two-step Heckman model were used to first identify the determinants of mobile money adoption by women in Benin. Thus, the determinants of mobile money adoption are: age, having an account in a microfinance institution, level of education and area of residence. The second part of our work will show the effect of mobile money on women's empowerment in Benin. The results of this model reveal that the use of mobile money, income level and age increase the likelihood that women undertake an activity.
Furthermore, we used an instrumental variable model to correct for endogeneity and the results obtained are identical to the Heckman model.
The results of our estimates suggest making information technology infrastructure available to ensure network coverage and encourage women to adopt mobile money more.
{"title":"Impact of mobile money on the economic empowerment of women in Benin","authors":"Charles Yédéhou Faton , Djohodo Inès Monwanou","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this work is to analyze the impact of mobile money on the economic empowerment of women in Benin. To achieve this objective, we used data from FineScope (2018) on 3687 women in Benin. Descriptive statistics and a two-step Heckman model were used to first identify the determinants of mobile money adoption by women in Benin. Thus, the determinants of mobile money adoption are: age, having an account in a microfinance institution, level of education and area of residence. The second part of our work will show the effect of mobile money on women's empowerment in Benin. The results of this model reveal that the use of mobile money, income level and age increase the likelihood that women undertake an activity.</div><div>Furthermore, we used an instrumental variable model to correct for endogeneity and the results obtained are identical to the Heckman model.</div><div>The results of our estimates suggest making information technology infrastructure available to ensure network coverage and encourage women to adopt mobile money more.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103034"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103037
Wei Yang , Jinbao Wen , Fuxin Wang , Xin Liu
This study examines evolving patterns of trade dependency (TD) and technological specialization (TS) across the global information and communication technology (ICT) supply chain. Against a backdrop of geopolitical fragmentation and rising techno-nationalism, we analyze how asymmetric dependencies shape strategic vulnerabilities in critical ICT sectors. Using a novel multidimensional framework, we integrate granular trade data (2009–2023) from the UN Comtrade database and patent statistics to map hierarchical structures across upstream (materials), midstream (components), and downstream (end-use devices) segments for six major economies (EU, US, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore). Our analysis reveals three principal findings. First, China dominates downstream exports (38 % global share) but faces significant upstream-midstream dependencies, notably on high-purity silicon and integrated circuits. Second, the US and EU maintain technological leadership in patents but experience declining manufacturing capabilities, increasing their import reliance. Third, all economies exhibit critical vulnerabilities (urgent zones) in silicon wafers, integrated circuits, and printed circuit boards, where high TD coexists with low TS. The study contributes a longitudinal TD-TS assessment framework that quantifies systemic supply chain risks. It demonstrates that persistent asymmetries stem from institutional monopolies, divergent industrial policies, and geopolitical realignment rather than market efficiency alone. We conclude that strategic resilience requires targeted capability-building in high-risk segments and diversified partnerships rather than wholesale decoupling to balance efficiency with technological sovereignty.
{"title":"Trade dependency and technological specialization in the ICT supply chain: Structural dynamics and strategic autonomy in major economies","authors":"Wei Yang , Jinbao Wen , Fuxin Wang , Xin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines evolving patterns of trade dependency (TD) and technological specialization (TS) across the global information and communication technology (ICT) supply chain. Against a backdrop of geopolitical fragmentation and rising techno-nationalism, we analyze how asymmetric dependencies shape strategic vulnerabilities in critical ICT sectors. Using a novel multidimensional framework, we integrate granular trade data (2009–2023) from the UN Comtrade database and patent statistics to map hierarchical structures across upstream (materials), midstream (components), and downstream (end-use devices) segments for six major economies (EU, US, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore). Our analysis reveals three principal findings. First, China dominates downstream exports (38 % global share) but faces significant upstream-midstream dependencies, notably on high-purity silicon and integrated circuits. Second, the US and EU maintain technological leadership in patents but experience declining manufacturing capabilities, increasing their import reliance. Third, all economies exhibit critical vulnerabilities (urgent zones) in silicon wafers, integrated circuits, and printed circuit boards, where high TD coexists with low TS. The study contributes a longitudinal TD-TS assessment framework that quantifies systemic supply chain risks. It demonstrates that persistent asymmetries stem from institutional monopolies, divergent industrial policies, and geopolitical realignment rather than market efficiency alone. We conclude that strategic resilience requires targeted capability-building in high-risk segments and diversified partnerships rather than wholesale decoupling to balance efficiency with technological sovereignty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103037"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103051
Komal Dutta, Bimal Kishore Sahoo, Sunandan Ghosh
This study examines the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adoption in enhancing Total Factor Productivity (TFP) within India's manufacturing sector. We employ plant-level panel data from the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) spanning 1999–2022. Employing an Ackerberg-Caves-Frazer corrected Levinsohn-Petrin methodology to estimate TFP at the disaggregated 3-digit National Industrial Classification (NIC), the analysis reveals significant heterogeneity across manufacturing industries. The staggered difference-in-differences approach indicates that ICT adoption results in a positive initial impact on plant-level productivity, averaging a 6.29 % increase in TFP, although these gains taper off after approximately a decade. This pattern reflects diminishing marginal returns and technological stagnation. The productivity impacts of ICT vary across plants, with smaller, urban-based plants exhibiting higher immediate gains due to greater flexibility and infrastructure advantages. In contrast, larger, rural-based plants with high capital and technological intensity face adaptation costs, limiting immediate productivity improvements. Additionally, moderate managerial intensity enhances absorptive capacity, thus maximizing ICT benefits. The study further uncovers spillover dynamics, where ICT adoption amplifies productivity through effective inter-industry knowledge flows while diminishing intra-industry spillovers for adopters due to saturation effects. These findings underscore the nuanced role of ICT as a General-Purpose Technology, necessitating targeted policy interventions to enhance productivity, particularly by addressing infrastructural and skill-development constraints in high-tech and rural sectors.
{"title":"Total factor productivity and the evolving role of ICT in Indian manufacturing plants","authors":"Komal Dutta, Bimal Kishore Sahoo, Sunandan Ghosh","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103051","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103051","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adoption in enhancing Total Factor Productivity (TFP) within India's manufacturing sector. We employ plant-level panel data from the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) spanning 1999–2022. Employing an Ackerberg-Caves-Frazer corrected Levinsohn-Petrin methodology to estimate TFP at the disaggregated 3-digit National Industrial Classification (NIC), the analysis reveals significant heterogeneity across manufacturing industries. The staggered difference-in-differences approach indicates that ICT adoption results in a positive initial impact on plant-level productivity, averaging a 6.29 % increase in TFP, although these gains taper off after approximately a decade. This pattern reflects diminishing marginal returns and technological stagnation. The productivity impacts of ICT vary across plants, with smaller, urban-based plants exhibiting higher immediate gains due to greater flexibility and infrastructure advantages. In contrast, larger, rural-based plants with high capital and technological intensity face adaptation costs, limiting immediate productivity improvements. Additionally, moderate managerial intensity enhances absorptive capacity, thus maximizing ICT benefits. The study further uncovers spillover dynamics, where ICT adoption amplifies productivity through effective inter-industry knowledge flows while diminishing intra-industry spillovers for adopters due to saturation effects. These findings underscore the nuanced role of ICT as a General-Purpose Technology, necessitating targeted policy interventions to enhance productivity, particularly by addressing infrastructural and skill-development constraints in high-tech and rural sectors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103051"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103014
Natnaree Wongmith
With the advancement of digital technology, governments have created more channels for citizens to access government services. However, there are disparities in accessibility and utilization of the services, leading to uneven benefits across the population. This study investigated the determinant factors of e-government service utilization and identified the sociodemographic and mobile service characteristics of individuals who used and did not use the services. The study analyzed data from the 2023 Nationwide Telecommunications Usage Behavior and Device Access Survey (n = 42,335). Chi-squared test, z-test, and binary logistic regression were employed to analyze the data. The findings indicated that age, education, geographical location, mobile broadband technology, and type of data cap are significant predictors of e-government utilization.
{"title":"Addressing the digital divide: A study on the predictors of government E-service utilization in Thailand","authors":"Natnaree Wongmith","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the advancement of digital technology, governments have created more channels for citizens to access government services. However, there are disparities in accessibility and utilization of the services, leading to uneven benefits across the population. This study investigated the determinant factors of e-government service utilization and identified the sociodemographic and mobile service characteristics of individuals who used and did not use the services. The study analyzed data from the 2023 Nationwide Telecommunications Usage Behavior and Device Access Survey (<em>n</em> = 42,335). Chi-squared test, z-test, and binary logistic regression were employed to analyze the data. The findings indicated that age, education, geographical location, mobile broadband technology, and type of data cap are significant predictors of e-government utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103014"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103035
Mingzhi Hu , Yinxin Su
This study investigates how entrepreneurial engagement influences social sharing behavior on WeChat Moments, a popular social media platform in China. Drawing on theories of social status, social networks, and social support, we examine the mechanisms through which entrepreneurship shapes digital social engagement. Using longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and employing Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and an instrumental variable (IV) approach, we address potential endogeneity concerns related to self-selection and unobserved heterogeneity. While our analysis does not support the hypothesized social status mechanism—finding no significant differences in income or social class between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs—we identify two robust pathways. First, entrepreneurs demonstrate expanded social networks, and WeChat Moments posting positively correlates with guanxi development. Second, we confirm a social support mechanism wherein entrepreneurship is associated with higher perceived task difficulty, and increased WeChat Moments posting correlates with enhanced life satisfaction. Our findings reveal a consistent positive relationship between entrepreneurship and social media engagement, illuminating how digital platforms serve entrepreneurs' networking, resilience, and support needs in contemporary business environments.
{"title":"From entrepreneur to social sharer: Entrepreneurship and digital social sharing","authors":"Mingzhi Hu , Yinxin Su","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates how entrepreneurial engagement influences social sharing behavior on WeChat Moments, a popular social media platform in China. Drawing on theories of social status, social networks, and social support, we examine the mechanisms through which entrepreneurship shapes digital social engagement. Using longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and employing Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and an instrumental variable (IV) approach, we address potential endogeneity concerns related to self-selection and unobserved heterogeneity. While our analysis does not support the hypothesized social status mechanism—finding no significant differences in income or social class between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs—we identify two robust pathways. First, entrepreneurs demonstrate expanded social networks, and WeChat Moments posting positively correlates with <em>guanxi</em> development. Second, we confirm a social support mechanism wherein entrepreneurship is associated with higher perceived task difficulty, and increased WeChat Moments posting correlates with enhanced life satisfaction. Our findings reveal a consistent positive relationship between entrepreneurship and social media engagement, illuminating how digital platforms serve entrepreneurs' networking, resilience, and support needs in contemporary business environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103035"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103039
Niklas Schomburg , Magdalene Silberberger
This paper examines the heterogeneous effects of digitalization by individuals, firms, and governments on economic growth across different stages of digital transformation. While prior research has established a positive association between information and communication technologies (ICT) and economic growth, our main question is whether this effect differs across a country's digitalization stage and is driven by different economic actors along a country's digitalization process. Our analysis is based on panel data for a sample of 134 countries for the period 2003–2016. We employ a System Generalized Method of Moments estimator to mitigate endogeneity concerns.
We categorize countries into three groups—LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH—based on their digitalization stage proxied by the Networked Readiness Index. Estimation results suggest that ICT usage by individuals, firms, and governments exerts growth effects at different digitalization stages. In LOW countries, digital adoption by any economic actor does not significantly drive growth, suggesting threshold effects. In MEDIUM countries, individual and business digitalization contributes significantly to economic performance. For HIGH countries, government ICT adoption becomes the primary driver of economic growth, while individual and business contributions become insignificant, possibly due to diminishing marginal returns.
Our results underscore the need for tailored digital strategies, emphasizing foundational infrastructure in LOW-digitalization economies, dual investment in household and business digitalization in MEDIUM countries, and a focus on public sector digital transformation in HIGH-digitalization economies. These insights provide critical policy implications for optimizing ICT-driven economic growth trajectories.
{"title":"The ICT growth puzzle: Disentangling the role of individuals, firms, and governments across digitalization stages","authors":"Niklas Schomburg , Magdalene Silberberger","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the heterogeneous effects of digitalization by individuals, firms, and governments on economic growth across different stages of digital transformation. While prior research has established a positive association between information and communication technologies (ICT) and economic growth, our main question is whether this effect differs across a country's digitalization stage and is driven by different economic actors along a country's digitalization process. Our analysis is based on panel data for a sample of 134 countries for the period 2003–2016. We employ a System Generalized Method of Moments estimator to mitigate endogeneity concerns.</div><div>We categorize countries into three groups—LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH—based on their digitalization stage proxied by the Networked Readiness Index. Estimation results suggest that ICT usage by individuals, firms, and governments exerts growth effects at different digitalization stages. In LOW countries, digital adoption by any economic actor does not significantly drive growth, suggesting threshold effects. In MEDIUM countries, individual and business digitalization contributes significantly to economic performance. For HIGH countries, government ICT adoption becomes the primary driver of economic growth, while individual and business contributions become insignificant, possibly due to diminishing marginal returns.</div><div>Our results underscore the need for tailored digital strategies, emphasizing foundational infrastructure in LOW-digitalization economies, dual investment in household and business digitalization in MEDIUM countries, and a focus on public sector digital transformation in HIGH-digitalization economies. These insights provide critical policy implications for optimizing ICT-driven economic growth trajectories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103039"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103029
Wenhui Huang , Yuhong Huang , Qi Huo
This study aims to systematically evaluate how the urban digital economy influences the decision-making process of labor migration across regions. By matching individual migration data of intercity movements during 2012–2016 from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) conducted between 2013 and 2017 with the urban digital economy level and incorporating sampling data from the 2010 and 2015 population censuses, we construct a bidirectional flow analysis framework to identify the transmission pathways through which the urban digital economy influences population reallocation. The findings indicate that the development of the urban digital economy significantly increases the capacity to absorb external labor, resulting in a population stabilizing effect, particularly in small and medium-sized cities. The primary mechanisms include the increase in employment opportunities and public service provision, reflecting the pro-poor nature of the digital economy. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals greater benefits for women and cities with weaker resource endowments, supporting the applicability of the “latecomer advantage” of the digital economy in Chinese cities. This research provides empirical evidence and policy implications to promote labor mobility and rational allocation in the digital age.
{"title":"How does the urban digital economy affect labor mobility? An analysis from inflow and outflow perspectives","authors":"Wenhui Huang , Yuhong Huang , Qi Huo","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to systematically evaluate how the urban digital economy influences the decision-making process of labor migration across regions. By matching individual migration data of intercity movements during 2012–2016 from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) conducted between 2013 and 2017 with the urban digital economy level and incorporating sampling data from the 2010 and 2015 population censuses, we construct a bidirectional flow analysis framework to identify the transmission pathways through which the urban digital economy influences population reallocation. The findings indicate that the development of the urban digital economy significantly increases the capacity to absorb external labor, resulting in a population stabilizing effect, particularly in small and medium-sized cities. The primary mechanisms include the increase in employment opportunities and public service provision, reflecting the pro-poor nature of the digital economy. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals greater benefits for women and cities with weaker resource endowments, supporting the applicability of the “latecomer advantage” of the digital economy in Chinese cities. This research provides empirical evidence and policy implications to promote labor mobility and rational allocation in the digital age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103029"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103031
Rodrigo Alcázar Silva , Sully C. Calderón Martínez , Julio A. Ramos Pastrana
We examine the economic effects of the 2013 Telecommunications Reform in Mexico that implemented asymmetric regulation on the largest mobile network operator in the country. This regulation imposed on the “preponderant” telecommunications operator, defined as the operator with more than 50 % of the connections of all the sector, a series of requirements aimed to increase market competition and facilitate entry in the sector. We investigate the effects of this regulation on market competition in the mobile phone market using quarterly data from the Mexican mobile network operators in the period 2010.3–2017.3. Results provide evidence that the asymmetric regulations fostered competition by fostering entry into the market, which resulted in a decrease of the market share of the preponderant agent, driven by a decrease in the market share of prepaid lines; and at the same time improved consumer welfare by prompting improvements in customer service provided by the preponderant agent, which resulted in a net gain in the number of lines ported to this agent, and an increase in the number of postpaid lines.
{"title":"The effect of asymmetric regulation on mobile phone market competition: The case of mexico's 2013 telecommunications reform","authors":"Rodrigo Alcázar Silva , Sully C. Calderón Martínez , Julio A. Ramos Pastrana","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We examine the economic effects of the 2013 Telecommunications Reform in Mexico that implemented asymmetric regulation on the largest mobile network operator in the country. This regulation imposed on the “preponderant” telecommunications operator, defined as the operator with more than 50 % of the connections of all the sector, a series of requirements aimed to increase market competition and facilitate entry in the sector. We investigate the effects of this regulation on market competition in the mobile phone market using quarterly data from the Mexican mobile network operators in the period 2010.3–2017.3. Results provide evidence that the asymmetric regulations fostered competition by fostering entry into the market, which resulted in a decrease of the market share of the preponderant agent, driven by a decrease in the market share of prepaid lines; and at the same time improved consumer welfare by prompting improvements in customer service provided by the preponderant agent, which resulted in a net gain in the number of lines ported to this agent, and an increase in the number of postpaid lines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 9","pages":"Article 103031"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}