Impact evaluation of broadband investment on coverage and household internet use in rural areas

Ignacio Arce, María Gorriti, Miguel Gómez‐Antonio · 2025 · Papers of the Regional Science Association

Summary. Spanish rural municipalities that received broadband investment subsidies significantly increased their high-speed internet coverage between 2013 and 2019, narrowing the rural-urban divide. However, improved broadband coverage alone did not substantially increase household internet use in rural areas. The study reveals a persistent digital divide, with rural coverage at 38% compared to 90% in urban areas, suggesting that infrastructure investment must be paired with other interventions to drive actual adoption.

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@article{arce-2025-impact-evaluation-broadband-investment-coverage,
  title   = {Impact evaluation of broadband investment on coverage and household internet use in rural areas},
  author  = {Ignacio Arce and María Gorriti and Miguel Gómez‐Antonio},
  journal = {Papers of the Regional Science Association},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1016/j.pirs.2025.100099},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pirs.2025.100099}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Impact evaluation of broadband investment on coverage and household internet use in rural areas
AU  - Ignacio Arce
AU  - María Gorriti
AU  - Miguel Gómez‐Antonio
JO  - Papers of the Regional Science Association
PY  - 2025
DO  - 10.1016/j.pirs.2025.100099
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pirs.2025.100099
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1016/j.pirs.2025.100099

Countries

Spain

Regions

Europe

Categories

broadband-and-digital, policy

Added

2026-04-28