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

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

When the prices for ICT capital goods decrease, consumers gain in the form of lower prices for ICT services, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: Prices Consumers Paid for Wireless Phone and Data Services Dropped 18.6 Percent From 2002 to 2014, Mirroring an 18.4 Percent Decline in Prices for Telecommunications Infrastructure Technologies

Economists from Telecom Advisory Services estimate that greater broadband adoption and faster speeds contributed $1.3 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product between 2010 and 2020

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

After the deployment of high-speed Internet in 12 African countries, 10 percent of employment growth could be attributed to that development, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: When 12 African Nations Gained Access to High-Speed Internet, it Raised Employment Rates by an Average of 10 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

Submarine cables use fiber-optic technology, whereby information is encoded onto waves of light transmitted by lasers across thin glass at up to 200 terabits per second.

Submarine Cables: Critical Infrastructure for Global Communications

A November 2023 working paper found that a 10 percent increase in digital connectivity reduced trade costs by about 1.5–2 percent.

Fact of the Week: A 10 Percent Increase in Digital Connectivity Reduces Trade Costs by 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: The Expansion of Submarine Cables Results in a 14 to 21 Percent Drop in Internet Prices

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

Fact of the Week: Prices Consumers Paid for Wireless Phone and Data Services Dropped 18.6 Percent From 2002 to 2014, Mirroring an 18.4 Percent Decline in Prices for Telecommunications Infrastructure Technologies