The role of mobile broadband in poverty alleviation: a comparison of the effects of 3G and 4G network expansion in underdeveloped regions of Indonesia

Kasmad Ariansyah, Istiana Hermawati, Riva'atul Adaniah Wahab, Ari Cahyo Nugroho, Dida Dirgahayu, Caecilia Suprapti Dwi Takariani and Daru Nupikso

Information Technology for Development, 2025, vol. 31, issue 1, 206-231

Abstract: Alleviating poverty remains a significant global challenge necessitating effective interventions. While Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is widely acknowledged as a contemporary solution for addressing socioeconomic issues, the impact of supply-side factors, notably mobile broadband expansion, remains uncertain. Our study bridges this gap by analyzing the effects of 3G and 4G coverage on poverty rates and gaps in 109 underdeveloped regions in Indonesia from 2017–2021. Through quantitative analysis and map charts, we ascertain that increased 3G and 4G coverage is associated with decreased poverty rates and gaps. Specifically, a 1 percent rise in 3G coverage corresponds to a 0.019 percent decrease in poverty rates and a 0.011 point reduction in the poverty gap. Similarly, a 1 percent increase in 4G coverage reduces poverty rates by 0.009 percent and the poverty gap by 0.004 points. These findings offer valuable theoretical and practical insights to inform future research and policy initiatives.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/02681102.2024.2361482 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:titdxx:v:31:y:2025:i:1:p:206-231

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/titd20

DOI: 10.1080/02681102.2024.2361482

Access Statistics for this article

Information Technology for Development is currently edited by Sajda Qureshi

More articles in Information Technology for Development from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().