Digital Public Infrastructure and Agricultural Modernization: Causal Evidence from the Broadband China Policy

Digital public infrastructure is increasingly viewed as a catalyst for rural and agricultural transformation, yet its structural impact on agricultural modernization remains insufficiently examined. Using the Broadband China policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this study applies a difference-in-differences framework to city-level panel data to identify the causal effect of digital public infrastructure on agricultural modernization. The estimates indicate that digital infrastructure significantly advances agricultural modernization. Further analysis shows that the effect operates through enhanced technological innovation and strengthened economic agglomeration, suggesting that digital connectivity reshapes both productivity and spatial organization within the agricultural sector. The impact is more pronounced in regions with developed logistics systems and lower information frictions, underscoring the importance of complementary infrastructure and institutional conditions. By linking digital public infrastructure to structural agricultural transformation, this study extends the literature on digital development and provides policy insights for developing economies pursuing infrastructure-driven modernization strategies.