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An index for cross-country analysis of ICT infrastructure and access

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  • Hanafizadeh, Mohammad Reza
  • Saghaei, Abbas
  • Hanafizadeh, Payam

Abstract

The purpose of the present article is to devise an index for measuring and analyzing the divide among countries in the area of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and access. Understanding the fact that there are many factors influencing the digital divide, this research is not intended to measure the digital divide in terms of different inequalities, but it rather attempts to take only one of the most important of these factors (maybe the most important of them) into consideration for measuring and analyzing divide between countries, that is, ICT infrastructure and access. In contrast to the majority of the indices in this context, the proposed index is built upon defining and conceptualizing ICT infrastructure and access. In addition, the index uses core ICT indicators on which the international community and experienced modelers have consensus that they measure the information society suitably. Therefore, the index can be exploited as the basis and standard for internationally comparable statistics in ICT infrastructure and access area. Moreover, it is the second index based on core ICT indicators after the Digital Opportunity Index (DOI) that was developed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2005. However, in the current article, using Data Mining methods, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) (to impute missing data) and Multi-Stage Factor Analysis (FA) (for aggregating the indicators), many problems and limits of the existing indices, the DOI in particular, such as the lack of data for analyzing ICT infrastructure and access, use of equal weighting or experts' opinions to aggregate the indicators, are avoided. Since this index is developed by statistical procedures, it is flexible, adaptable, and modifiable over time while it sustains its original structure. It is comprised of two main dimensions: 'ICT access' and 'coverage of mobile and access tariffs' and 10 indicators. Finally, comparing the proposed index with the other indices in this field and gross national income (GNI) per capita of 150 countries, this index is tested; then, it is utilized to measure and analyze the divide between countries in the two dimensions, different geographical areas, economic conditions, and levels of ICT infrastructure and access.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanafizadeh, Mohammad Reza & Saghaei, Abbas & Hanafizadeh, Payam, 2009. "An index for cross-country analysis of ICT infrastructure and access," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 385-405, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:33:y:2009:i:7:p:385-405
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    Cited by:

    1. Ventura, Eva & Satorra, Albert, 2015. "A multiple indicator model for panel data: An application to ICT area-level variation," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 830-847.
    2. Viswanath Venkatesh & Hillol Bala & V. Sambamurthy, 2016. "Implementation of an Information and Communication Technology in a Developing Country: A Multimethod Longitudinal Study in a Bank in India," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 558-579, September.
    3. Mohammad Soltani Delgosha & Tahereh Saheb & Nastaran Hajiheydari, 2021. "Modelling the Asymmetrical Relationships between Digitalisation and Sustainable Competitiveness: A Cross-Country Configurational Analysis," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1317-1337, September.
    4. Ogechi Adeola & Olaniyi Evans, 2020. "ICT, infrastructure, and tourism development in Africa," Tourism Economics, , vol. 26(1), pages 97-114, February.
    5. Gerpott, Torsten J. & Ahmadi, Nima, 2015. "Advancement of indices assessing a nation׳s telecommunications development status: A PLS structural equation analysis of over 100 countries," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 93-111.
    6. Anatoly Sidorov & Pavel Senchenko, 2020. "Regional Digital Economy: Assessment of Development Levels," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-23, December.
    7. Eva Ventura & Albert Satorra, 2014. "A multiple indicator model for panel data: an application to ICT area-level variation," Economics Working Papers 1419, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    8. Szilvia BOTOS, 2011. "Broadband ranking of regions and its methodological basis," Scientific Bulletin - Economic Sciences, University of Pitesti, vol. 10(1), pages 126-134.
    9. Nela Miloševiæ & Marina Dobrota & Slaðana Barjaktaroviæ Rakoèeviæ, 2018. "EU enlargement: Digital economy in Europe: Evaluation of countries’ performances," Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, vol. 36(2), pages 861-880.
    10. Ventura, Eva & Satorra, Albert, 2015. "A multiple indicator model for panel data: an application to ICT area-level variation," 26th European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2015 127191, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    11. Szeles, Monica Răileanu, 2018. "New insights from a multilevel approach to the regional digital divide in the European Union," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 452-463.
    12. Mohammad Soltani Delgosha & Tahereh Saheb & Nastaran Hajiheydari, 0. "Modelling the Asymmetrical Relationships between Digitalisation and Sustainable Competitiveness: A Cross-Country Configurational Analysis," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-21.
    13. Fatih Dur & Tan Yigitcanlar & Jonathan Bunker, 2014. "A Spatial-Indexing Model for Measuring Neighbourhood-Level Land-Use and Transport Integration," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 41(5), pages 792-812, October.
    14. Julian Donaubauer & Birgit E. Meyer & Peter Nunnenkamp, 2016. "A New Global Index of Infrastructure: Construction, Rankings and Applications," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 236-259, February.
    15. Jauhiainen, Jussi S. & Eyvazlu, Davood & Junnila, Johanna & Virnes, Ada, 2022. "Digital divides,the Internet and social media uses among Afghans in Iran," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    16. Kyriakidou, Vagia & Michalakelis, Christos & Sphicopoulos, Thomas, 2013. "Assessment of information and communications technology maturity level," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 48-62.
    17. Srinuan, Chalita & Bohlin, Erik, 2011. "Understanding the digital divide: A literature survey and ways forward," 22nd European Regional ITS Conference, Budapest 2011: Innovative ICT Applications - Emerging Regulatory, Economic and Policy Issues 52191, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).

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