The Internet as a general-purpose technology: Firm-level evidence from around the world

George Clarke, Christine Zhenwei Qiang and Lixin Xu

Economics Letters, 2015, vol. 135, issue C, 24-27

Abstract: This paper uses firm-level data to assess whether telecom services are general-purpose technologies. We find that only Internet services are so: firm growth and productivity are substantially higher when Internet access is greater and when firms use the Internet more intensively; and it benefits firms of both high- and low-tech industries, firms of all sizes, and firms with and without exporting. Small firms benefit more from Internet than large firms do. In contrast, fixed-line and cellular services are not robustly related to firm performance.

Keywords: Internet; Broadband; General-purpose technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H4 L9 O1 O3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (33)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:135:y:2015:i:c:p:24-27

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2015.07.004

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