ICT Access in Latin America Evidence from Household Level

38 Pages Posted: 10 May 2011

See all articles by Sebastian Vergara

Sebastian Vergara

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Matteo Grazzi

Inter-American Development Bank

Date Written: April 18, 2011

Abstract

The diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is becoming a central policy issue for developing countries, being identified by international policy-makers and scholars as an important driver of knowledge, innovation and economic growth. We analyze ICT access patterns in seven Latin American countries. In particular, we study the socio-economic determinants of the presence of computers and Internet connection at household level. Descriptive data show that ICT diffusion is concentrated in narrowly defined segments of income and educational groups in each country. Across countries, there is also evidence that the lower is the ICT diffusion, the higher is the inequality of that diffusion. Econometrically, we model the probability that a household has or has not adopted computer technologies and Internet access. The results confirm that variables such as income, education and rural/urban areas are key determinants of ICT diffusion. Additionally, there is evidence of geographical network effects and complementarities between Internet uses at different locations.

Keywords: ICT Access, Sample Selection, Latin America

JEL Classification: L63, O33, O54, C24

Suggested Citation

Vergara, Sebastian and Grazzi, Matteo, ICT Access in Latin America Evidence from Household Level (April 18, 2011). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1814324 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1814324

Sebastian Vergara (Contact Author)

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) ( email )

Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477
Vitacura
Santiago, 7630412
Chile

Matteo Grazzi

Inter-American Development Bank ( email )

1300 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20577
United States

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