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The broadband digital divide and the benefits of mobile broadband for minorities

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  • James Prieger
Abstract
This study sets out the facts regarding broadband deployment and usage in the US and the particular promise of mobile broadband for minorities. Fixed broadband is nearly ubiquitous and most people have access to four or more mobile broadband providers. Growth in fixed broadband usage is leveling off, while mobile broadband usage growth remains robust. Blacks and Hispanics generally have fewer fixed broadband options but more mobile broadband providers available. Gaps in broadband usage overall (fixed and mobile combined) for minorities persist and are quite large. Matching estimators show that lagging broadband adoption among minority groups is not fully accounted for by demographic and economic characteristics. Mobile broadband holds particular promise for minorities regarding healthcare and e-health, and these communities have relatively greater reliance on mobile forms of broadband. Two important findings are that 1) blacks are more likely to access the Internet using a mobile phone than whites (after controlling for demographic differences between the groups), and 2) there is no significant gap in mobile broadband usage between minorities and whites by either of the two measures of usage considered. Implications of the findings for policy toward spectrum allocation and wireless taxes are discussed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • James Prieger, 2015. "The broadband digital divide and the benefits of mobile broadband for minorities," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 13(3), pages 373-400, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jecinq:v:13:y:2015:i:3:p:373-400
    DOI: 10.1007/s10888-015-9296-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

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    2. Manlove, Jacob & Whitacre, Brian, 2019. "An evaluation of the Connected Nation broadband adoption program," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1-1.
    3. Ali, Mohammad Afshar & Alam, Khorshed & Taylor, Brad & Rafiq, Shuddhasattwa, 2019. "Do income distribution and socio-economic inequality affect ICT affordability? Evidence from Australian household panel data," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 317-328.
    4. Mack, Elizabeth A. & Helderop, Edward & Keene, Thomas & Loveridge, Scott & Mann, John & Grubesic, Tony H. & Kowalkowski, Brian & Gollnow, Miranda, 2022. "A longitudinal analysis of broadband provision in tribal areas," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(5).
    5. Mingfeng Wang & Felix Haifeng Liao & Juan Lin & Li Huang & Chengcheng Gu & Yehua Dennis Wei, 2016. "The Making of a Sustainable Wireless City? Mapping Public Wi-Fi Access in Shanghai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-15, January.
    6. King, Jesse & Gonzales, Amy L., 2023. "The influence of digital divide frames on legislative passage and partisan sponsorship: A content analysis of digital equity legislation in the U.S. from 1990 to 2020," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(7).
    7. Prieger, James, 2023. "Local banking markets and barriers to entrepreneurship in minority and other areas: Does broadband availability help?," MPRA Paper 118102, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Silva, Thiago Christiano & Coelho, Florângela Cunha & Ehrl, Philipp & Tabak, Benjamin Miranda, 2020. "Internet access in recessionary periods: The case of Brazil," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 537(C).
    9. Moran, Rachel E. & Bui, Matthew N., 2019. "Race, ethnicity, and telecommunications policy issues of access and representation: Centering communities of color and their concerns," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 461-473.
    10. Prieger, James E., 2023. "Local banking markets and barriers to entrepreneurship in minority and other areas," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    11. Jeffrey H. Cohen & Arati Maleku & Sudarshan Pyakurel & Taku Suzuki & Shambika Raut & Francisco Alejandro Montiel Ishino, 2022. "Exploring the Digital Divide among the Bhutanese Refugee Community during COVID-19: Engaged Research in Action," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-14, December.

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