Study points to correlation between faster broadband networks and improvements in income.
Can high-speed Internet improve your financial well-being?
A 2013 study concluded the answer is “yes,” both for individuals and entire nations.
Conducted by telecom equipment maker Ericsson, management consultancy Arthur D. Little and Chalmers University of Technology, the study examined hundreds of academic papers plus data published by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, among other sources. Among key conclusions is that access to high-performance broadband networks correlates with economic advantages, including improvements in household income.
Among possible reasons for the link between access to fast broadband networks and economic improvements, the authors suggest, are:
- Personal productivity: “A faster broadband speed boosts personal productivity and allows for more flexible work arrangements.”
- Income enhancement: “A higher speed also opens up possibilities for more advanced home-based businesses as a replacement, or complement to, an ordinary job.”
- More knowledge: “Broadband speed enables people to be more informed, better educated and socially and culturally enriched – ultimately leading to a faster career path.”
