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Internet Access in Rural Areas: Brake or Stimulus as Post-Covid-19 Opportunity?

Author

Listed:
  • Irune Ruiz-Martínez

    (Research Institute for Local Development, University of Valencia, Carrer del Serpis 29, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Javier Esparcia

    (Research Institute for Local Development, University of Valencia, Carrer del Serpis 29, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

The lack of internet access in most rural areas has become a challenge worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted trends such as teleworking and e-commerce, meaning an opportunity for the local economy of these areas, but with serious difficulties in carrying it out. This paper aims to detect this lack of internet in inland areas of the region of Valencia through local actors, in order to identify clear priorities and real needs through an explorative and replicable approach based on agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). The main findings suggest that there are different patterns in the rural internet access related to adequate infrastructure and planned actions by local councils. In this way, a multitude of contextual elements have emerged that influence the importance of efficient access to the internet in rural areas. It is essential to know the real needs and demands of the population before implementing plans and programs that may not be relevant for the actors involved in territorial development.

Suggested Citation

  • Irune Ruiz-Martínez & Javier Esparcia, 2020. "Internet Access in Rural Areas: Brake or Stimulus as Post-Covid-19 Opportunity?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9619-:d:447135
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Luis Camarero & Jesús Oliva, 2019. "Thinking in rural gap: mobility and social inequalities," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Eduardo Gutiérrez & Enrique Moral-Benito & Roberto Ramos & Daniel Oto-Peralías, 2020. "The spatial distribution of population in Spain: an anomaly in european perspective," Working Papers 2028, Banco de España.
    3. Lisha Ye & Huiqin Yang, 2020. "From Digital Divide to Social Inclusion: A Tale of Mobile Platform Empowerment in Rural Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rolf Bergs & Rüdiger Budde, 2022. "The potential of small-scale spatial data in regional science," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 42(2), pages 97-110, August.
    2. J. Javier Serrano & Félix Fajardo, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 on the Territory and Demographic Processes: A View from Spanish Rural and Urban Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-27, May.

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