UNU-MERIT Working Papers Series
Can internet infrastructure help reduce regional disparities? Evidence from Turkey
Mehmet Guney Celbis & Denis de Crombrugghe #2014-078This study presents novel evidence regarding the role of regional
internet infrastructure in reducing regional per capita income
disparities. We base our study on the assumptions that (1) the diffusion
of information homogenizes regional economies through reducing the
dissimilarities in institutions and culture, and (2) the
telecommunication capacity, represented as the internet infrastructure
of a region, facilitates this flow of information. Using the data from
the 26 statistical regions of Turkey, we find evidence that internet
infrastructure has contributed to regional convergence during the period
1999-2011. We also observe that the Turkish economic geography is
defined by a strong core-periphery pattern and significant spatial
clustering.
Key words: Convergence, Internet, Telecommunication, Infrastructure,
Regions
JEL Classification: R12, L96, E20, H41, O18, O47
Download the working paper (PDF)
