When a country increases the number of people and businesses using the Internet and boosts speeds by one percent each, it exports 0.8 percent more goods, benefiting households and industries, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: When a Country Increases Internet Subscriptions and Speeds by 1 Percent Each, Its Exports Increase by 0.8 Percent

Since 2011, the U.S. government has spent over $400 million to provide broadband Internet access to 1.6 million people. A recent study investigated the impact that policies like these can have by examining the construction of broadband infrastructure across China, finding that every 10 percent increase in a regions’s infrastructure increased firms’ productivity by 1.1 percent and workers’ wages by 4.2 percent.

Fact of the Week: Every 10 Percent Increase in Broadband Access in China has Increased Productivity by 1.1 Percent and Wages by 4.2 Percent

A recent working paper found that a 10 percent increase in broadband Internet access among county residents leads to 0.11 fewer suicide deaths per county, a 1.02 percent reduction in suicides overall.

Fact of the Week: Increase in Access to Broadband Internet in American Counties Results in a Decrease in Suicides

The rise of the Internet has allowed billions of people to access services that would not exist otherwise, while driving the growth of technologies that power them. A new study has attempted to quantify this effect, examining the rate of Internet usage across 76 countries between 1995 and 2016.

Fact of the Week: The Internet Increased the Global Economic Growth Rate by 0.7 Percentage Points Between 1995 and 2016

The U.S. economy could boost GDP anywhere between $1.6 to $2.2 trillion by 2025 through maximizing ICT use across all sectors, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Innovation Fact of the Week: US Economy Could Add $1.6-2.2T to GDP By 2025 By Maximizing ICT Adoption

Of the agencies that submitted broadband funding data to NTIA, $6.7 billion was paid out for broadband-specific programs in FY 2021, and 76 percent of that went to digital inclusion and adoption.

Fact of the Week: Of $6.7 Billion Paid Out for Broadband-Specific Programs in FY 2021, 76 Percent Went to Digital Inclusion and Adoption

Last week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis updated a recent paper on the digital economy to include more precise data, and it expanded the observed period to cover the years 1997 through 2017. In doing so, it found that the digital economy grew 9.9 percent annually over this 20-year period—4.3 times faster than the overall economy—and represented 6.9 percent of U.S. GDP as of 2017.

Fact of the Week: The Digital Economy Grew 4.3 Times Faster than the U.S. Economy Overall from 1997 to 2017

A new working paper finds that income rank increased by between 6 and 12.3 percent between fathers and sons in Norway after the roll-out of broadband.

Fact of the Week: Access to Broadband Internet Increases Intergenerational Mobility by up to 12.3 Percent

For Latin American firms, the higher their Internet activity intensity, the greater their productivity gains, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: Improvements to Broadband Speed and Adoption Contributed $1.3 Trillion to US GDP Between 2010 and 2020

Related

Fact of the Week: When a Country Increases Internet Subscriptions and Speeds by 1 Percent Each, Its Exports Increase by 0.8 Percent

Fact of the Week: Every 10 Percent Increase in Broadband Access in China has Increased Productivity by 1.1 Percent and Wages by 4.2 Percent

Fact of the Week: Increase in Access to Broadband Internet in American Counties Results in a Decrease in Suicides