Diffusion of digital mobile telephony: Are developing countries different?

Petri Rouvinen

doi:10.1016/j.telpol.2005.06.014

Diffusion of digital mobile telephony: Are developing countries different?

Petri Rouvinen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Not published at VTT

Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (ETLA)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

159 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Factors determining the diffusion of digital mobile telephony across developed and developing countries are studied with the aid of a Gompertz model. After controlling for other factors, the speed of diffusion per se is not significantly different between the two groups of countries. Standards competition hinders and market competition promotes diffusion in both groups. Various factors are, however, more important in a developing country context: having a large potential user base, accumulating network effects, being open, commanding a high (non-telecom) technological level, and introducing innovation(s) complementing mobile telephony. Late entrants experience faster diffusion promoting cross-country convergence.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	46-63
Number of pages	18
Journal	Telecommunications Policy
Volume	30
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2005.06.014
Publication status	Published - Feb 2006
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

Part of the Wireless Communication Research Program (brie-etla.org) of BRIE, the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy at the University of California at Berkeley, and ETLA, the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. The author would like to thank Derek Jones, Heli Koski, Tobias Kretschmer, Matti Pohjola, Pekka Ylä-Anttila, and the participants of the UNU/WIDER Conference on the New Economy in Development for comments and suggestions. This work was completed while the author was a Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. The hospitality of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, as well as the financial support of the Academy of Finland and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, are gratefully acknowledged.

Keywords

Developing countries
Gompertz model
Mobile telephony
Technology diffusion

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10.1016/j.telpol.2005.06.014

Cite this

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title = "Diffusion of digital mobile telephony: Are developing countries different?",

abstract = "Factors determining the diffusion of digital mobile telephony across developed and developing countries are studied with the aid of a Gompertz model. After controlling for other factors, the speed of diffusion per se is not significantly different between the two groups of countries. Standards competition hinders and market competition promotes diffusion in both groups. Various factors are, however, more important in a developing country context: having a large potential user base, accumulating network effects, being open, commanding a high (non-telecom) technological level, and introducing innovation(s) complementing mobile telephony. Late entrants experience faster diffusion promoting cross-country convergence.",

keywords = "Developing countries, Gompertz model, Mobile telephony, Technology diffusion",

author = "Petri Rouvinen",

note = "Funding Information: Part of the Wireless Communication Research Program (brie-etla.org) of BRIE, the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy at the University of California at Berkeley, and ETLA, the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. The author would like to thank Derek Jones, Heli Koski, Tobias Kretschmer, Matti Pohjola, Pekka Yl{\"a}-Anttila, and the participants of the UNU/WIDER Conference on the New Economy in Development for comments and suggestions. This work was completed while the author was a Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. The hospitality of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, as well as the financial support of the Academy of Finland and the Yrj{\"o} Jahnsson Foundation, are gratefully acknowledged.",

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N2 - Factors determining the diffusion of digital mobile telephony across developed and developing countries are studied with the aid of a Gompertz model. After controlling for other factors, the speed of diffusion per se is not significantly different between the two groups of countries. Standards competition hinders and market competition promotes diffusion in both groups. Various factors are, however, more important in a developing country context: having a large potential user base, accumulating network effects, being open, commanding a high (non-telecom) technological level, and introducing innovation(s) complementing mobile telephony. Late entrants experience faster diffusion promoting cross-country convergence.

AB - Factors determining the diffusion of digital mobile telephony across developed and developing countries are studied with the aid of a Gompertz model. After controlling for other factors, the speed of diffusion per se is not significantly different between the two groups of countries. Standards competition hinders and market competition promotes diffusion in both groups. Various factors are, however, more important in a developing country context: having a large potential user base, accumulating network effects, being open, commanding a high (non-telecom) technological level, and introducing innovation(s) complementing mobile telephony. Late entrants experience faster diffusion promoting cross-country convergence.

KW - Developing countries

KW - Gompertz model

KW - Mobile telephony

KW - Technology diffusion

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/31044448667

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DO - 10.1016/j.telpol.2005.06.014

M3 - Article

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SP - 46

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JF - Telecommunications Policy

IS - 1

ER -

Diffusion of digital mobile telephony: Are developing countries different?

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Keywords

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