Séminaire COURNOT – Daniel Vertesy (ITU, United Nations)

Détails de l'événement :

“How affordable are ICT services around the world ?”

Résumé : The Covid-19 pandemic brought to the forefront the importance of affordable broadband access to the Internet and other information and communication technology (ICT) services. Although 85 per cent of the world’s population lives in areas covered by networks that allow 4G mobile broadband connections, one person in two was still offline in 2019 according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data. This paradox is a reminder for policy-makers and telecommunication operators to consider the factors that limit ICT access, among them, the affordability of ICT services.
This paper presents a methodology for measuring of affordability of broadband services in the context of digital development. First, global comparability is addressed by considering alternative units for different baskets of services corresponding to typical uses in developed and developing economies. Next, recognizing inequalities in income and consumption patterns within countries, a methodology is proposed to measure not only the affordability for the average user, but also that for various income deciles. Results based on data collected from around two hundred countries worldwide reveal affordability gaps and their dynamics over time that are seemingly shaped by geography and income, as well as regulatory practices. Avenues for future research based on the ITU price and world telecommunication database are proposed for discussion.