Digital content as a fast Internet diffusion factor: Focusing on the fixed broadband Internet

Abstract

The Internet has significantly changed the lifestyles of individuals and many aspects of society while also having an important effect on economic growth and sustainable development. However, the usage and diffusion of the Internet vary greatly depending on the country, considering their economic and social conditions. This study investigates through an empirical analysis the factors that make Internet diffusion faster, especially focusing on the digital content. The results show that the abundance of digital content has played a crucial role in the rapid diffusion of the Internet. At the diffusion take-off stage, the number of Internet users appears to be the most important factor for fast Internet diffusion. However, as diffusion progresses to a mature stage, the amount of available digital content becomes the crucial factor for fast Internet diffusion. Thus, the countries in which the Internet is less diffused and the economy is less developed also require policies that promote various digital content from the launching of the Internet service to anticipate fast Internet diffusion in the whole diffusion progress.