This research contributes to the present state of the art by examining changes in cross-country inequalities in digital technologies deployment and economic performance. Our empirical target builds on the hypothesis that rapid global diffusion of digital technologies unequivocally leads to gradual eradication of cross-country digital gaps and cross-country inequalities in terms of deployment of ICT; the technology convergence occurs. Bearing in mind the fact that digital technologies’ growing access and use boost country’s economic performance, we confront changes in cross-country inequalities in terms of economic development. We hypothesize that gradual elimination of digital gaps shall be followed by diminishing gaps in economic wealth. Our country sample covers Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, and the time span of analysis covers the period 1990–2020. To test changes in digital development inequalities, we use 4 core ICT indicators: mobile cellular telephony, fixed broadband and mobile broadband networks, and Internet users, while regarding economic performance, we consider gross per capita income and Human Development Index. Our major findings support the hypothesis on dropping cross-country economic inequalities, which are accompanied by fast digital gaps being eradicated.
Authors
Additional information
- DOI
- Digital Object Identifier link open in new tab 10.1007/978-3-030-92133-0_2
- Category
- Publikacja monograficzna
- Type
- rozdział, artykuł w książce - dziele zbiorowym /podręczniku w języku o zasięgu międzynarodowym
- Language
- angielski
- Publication year
- 2022
