Investigating mobile broadband affordability in developing countries: a cross-national comparison

Abstract

This paper aims to identify and understand whether national policy initiatives, regulatory measures, or governance practices increase a developing nation's mobile broadband affordability. For this purpose, a cross-national multiple regression analysis of non-OECD countries is used. The results revealed that when controlling for wealth, education and other factors, competition to provide mobile services, financial investment in ICTs, and income inequality are all important variables for determining mobile broadband affordability. Findings suggest that service providers and other stakeholders are still recouping the cost of deploying the infrastructure necessary to provide mobile services, and have not yet achieved the economies of scale required for the price of mobile broadband to begin to fall, at least in the developing world. This paper provides contributions to academia, industry, and policymakers.