Population grid-based assessment of the impact of broadband expansion on population development in rural areas

• Published in: Telecommunications policy Vol. 44; no. 10; p. 102028
• Main Author: Lehtonen, Olli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2020; Butterworth-Heinemann
• Subjects: Availability; Broadband; Broadband communication systems; Demographic change; Finland; GIS; Infrastructure; Internet; Population; Population development; Regression analysis; Regression modelling; Rural areas; Rural communities; Rural development; Rural population; Statistics; Telecommunications policy; Finland; GIS; Broadband; Rural areas; Population development; Finland; Regression modelling
• ISSN: 0308-5961; 1879-3258; 0308-5961
• DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2020.102028

This paper estimates the effect of the expansion of broadband infrastructure, which enables high-speed Internet, on population development in panel of Finnish areas in the period 2010–2018. The study differs from previous studies in that it uses accurate statistics on the availability of broadband in 1 km * 1 km population grids. Therefore, the impact of broadband availability on rural development is evaluated more accurately than previously. The results of the Difference-in-difference (DiD) regression analysis show that the availability of broadband reduces depopulation of remote and sparsely populated rural areas. In this respect, the telecommunication policy in Finland has been successful, and the findings encourage the expansion of broadband infrastructure in rural areas. •The availability of broadband reduces depopulation of remote and sparsely populated rural areas.•Broadband infrastructure cannot alone solve structural problems of the rural areas.•Broadband connections are a threshold investment for the multi-local living and development of the place independent society.