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An analysis of mobile internet service in Thailand: Implications for bridging digital divide

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  • Srinuan, Chalita
  • Srinuan, Pratompong
  • Bohlin, Erik

Abstract

Mobile Internet is growing around the world without exception for developing countries like Thailand by passing the poor legacy wired infrastructure. This study attempts to provide guidance to a national regulatory agency (NRA) by addressing the following question: What are the key determining factors to explain the probability that individual consumer will use mobile Internet? The discrete choice model is employed to empirically examine whether the service and application attributes, socio-economic variables and service provider has systematic link with the decision of consumer. The data from a national survey in 2010 commissioned by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of Thailand is used for the analysis. Based on the findings, fixed telephony, e-mail, age, area of living and mobile operator are recognized as the strongest determinants for mobile Internet adoption. The findings suggest that the mobile Internet becomes an alternative technology to bridge the digital divide since a group of people who have no fixed Internet connection at home they can connect the Internet via mobile Internet. As such, telecom regulator and policy makers need to consider the policies regarding to infrastructure investment frequency allocation, content and application development and competition in order to stimulate the growth of mobile Internet adoption and close the digital divide within country.

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  • Srinuan, Chalita & Srinuan, Pratompong & Bohlin, Erik, 2011. "An analysis of mobile internet service in Thailand: Implications for bridging digital divide," 8th ITS Asia-Pacific Regional Conference, Taipei 2011: Convergence in the Digital Age 52326, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:itsp11:52326
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    Cited by:

    1. Srinuan, Chalita, 2014. "Uncertainty of public pay phone in Thailand: Implications for the universal service obligation," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 730-740.
    2. Kongaut, Chatchai & Bohlin, Erik, 2014. "Investigating mobile broadband adoption and usage: S case of smartphone in Sweden," 20th ITS Biennial Conference, Rio de Janeiro 2014: The Net and the Internet - Emerging Markets and Policies 106848, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    3. Shinohara, Sobee & Morikawa, Hiroyuki & Tsuji, Masatsugu, 2014. "Empirical analysis of mobile broadband adoption in major six countries from the view of competition policy," 20th ITS Biennial Conference, Rio de Janeiro 2014: The Net and the Internet - Emerging Markets and Policies 106849, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    4. Loo, Becky P.Y. & Wang, Bo, 2017. "Progress of e-development in China since 1998," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 731-742.
    5. Kaiser, Tobias Werner & Verbrugge, Sofie & Van der Wee, Marlies & Colle, Didier, 2017. "An Overview of different Business Models for public Wi-Fi and their Implications on Indirect Revenue," 28th European Regional ITS Conference, Passau 2017 169470, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    6. Chih-Cheng Chen, 2015. "Assessing the Activeness of Online Economic Activity of Taiwan’s Internet Users: An Application of the Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis Model," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 433-451, June.
    7. Xia, Jun, 2018. "The Chinese model of universal service policy: A two-decade retrospect based on an integrated framework," 22nd ITS Biennial Conference, Seoul 2018. Beyond the boundaries: Challenges for business, policy and society 190374, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    8. Zhang, Bin & Jin, Zhiye & Peng, Zhidao, 2018. "Bridging the Digital Divide: Making the Digital Economy Benefit to the Entire Society," 22nd ITS Biennial Conference, Seoul 2018. Beyond the boundaries: Challenges for business, policy and society 190412, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    9. Srinuan, Chalita & Srinuan, Pratompong & Bohlin, Erik, 2012. "Exploring mobile pricing strategies and innovations in the Thai mobile communications market," 19th ITS Biennial Conference, Bangkok 2012: Moving Forward with Future Technologies - Opening a Platform for All 72522, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    10. Marius Michels & Wilm Fecke & Jan‐Henning Feil & Oliver Musshoff & Frederike Lülfs‐Baden & Saskia Krone, 2020. "“Anytime, anyplace, anywhere”—A sample selection model of mobile internet adoption in german agriculture," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(2), pages 192-207, April.
    11. Andrew Morgan & Alan Dix & Mike Phillips & Chris House, 2014. "Blue sky thinking meets green field usability: Can mobile internet software engineering bridge the rural divide?," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 29(6-7), pages 750-761, September.
    12. Shinohara, Sobee & Akematsu, Yuji & Morikawa, Hiroyuki & Tsuji, Masatsugu, 2013. "Current issues of the Japanese mobile phone market caused by smartphones," 24th European Regional ITS Conference, Florence 2013 88528, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    13. Joan Calzada & Fernando Martínez-Santos, 2016. "Pricing strategies and competition in the mobile broadband market," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 70-98, August.
    14. Surapree Maolikul & Thira Chavarnakul & Somchai Kiatgamolchai, 2019. "Market Opportunity Analysis in Thailand: Case of Individual Power Sources by Thermoelectric-Generator Technology for Portable Electronics," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(03), pages 1-24, May.

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    Keywords

    Mobile Internet; digital divide; developing country;
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