1. Explaining the Global Digital Divide:
The Impact of Public Policy
Initiatives on Digital Opportunity
and ICT Development
David Yates, Girish Gulati, Anas Tawileh

5. Do national policy initiatives to
promote information and
communication technologies
(ICTs) increase a nation’s
digital opportunity

6. Do national policy initiatives to
promote information and
communication technologies
(ICTs) increase a nation’s
capacity for
e-government

7. Do public policy initiatives to
advance information and
communication technologies
increase a nation’s ICT access
and use

9. 171
Countries

13. National regulatory
authority (NRA)
Competition for providing
Policy basic telecommunication
Variables services
Competition for providing
mobile telecommunication
services
Financial investment

14. “ Nations that have a national
telecommunications
regulatory authority are the
most likely to have increased
digital opportunity
”

15. “ Nations that have a national
telecommunications
regulatory authority are the
most likely to have increased
digital opportunity
”

16. 0.8
Digital Opportunity Index 0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
-0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Have no NRA Have an NRA

17. Have no NRA Have NRA
Average DOI = 0.36 Average DOI = 0.41
Japan, Taiwan, Israel S. Korea, Denmark, Iceland

18. 8
7
IDI ICT Access & Use
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Have no NRA Have an NRA

19. Have no NRA Have NRA
Average DOI = 2.75
Average ICT A&U = 1.98
Luxembourg, Sweden,
Japan, Taiwan, Israel
Netherlands

20. “ Nations that have
competition to provide
telecommunication services
are the most likely to have
increased digital opportunity
”

21. “ Nations that have
competition to provide
telecommunication services
are the most likely to have
increased digital opportunity
”

22. 0.8
Digital Opportunity Index
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Monopoly
Partial Competition
Full Competition

23. Monopoly Full Competition
Average DOI = 0.29 Average DOI = 0.48
Israel, Antigua, Jamaica S. Korea, Japan, Denmark

24. 0.8
0.7
Digital Opportunity Index 0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Monopoly
Partial Competition
Full Competition

25. Monopoly Full Competition
Average DOI = 0.33 Average DOI = 0.43
Bahamas, Brunei, Dominica S. Korea, Japan, Iceland

26. “ Nations that competition to
provide telecommunication
services are the most likely
to have more inclusive ICT
access and use
”

27. “ Nations that competition to
provide telecommunication
services are the most likely
to have more inclusive ICT
access and use
”

28. 8
7
IDI ICT Access & Use
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Monopoly
Partial Competition
Full Competition

29. Monopoly Full Competition
Average DOI = 3.50
Average ICT A&U = 1.44
Luxembourg, Sweden,
Israel, Kuwait, Uruguay
Netherlands

30. 8
7
IDI ICT Access & Use
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Monopoly
Partial Competition
Full Competition

31. Monopoly Full Competition
Average DOI = 2.94
Average ICT A&U = 1.65
Luxembourg, Sweden,
Brunei, Kuwait, Costa Rica
Netherlands

32. “ Nations that have
competition to provide basic
telecommunication services
and (are the most likely to
have increased e-
government capacity
”

33. “ Nations that have
competition to provide basic
telecommunication services
and (are the most likely to
have increased
e-government capacity
”

34. 1
0.9
Web Measure Index
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Monopoly
Partial Competition
Full Competition

35. Monopoly Full Competition
Average WMI= 0.23 Average DOI = 0.42
Sweden, USA & Norway
Costa
Rica, Kuwait, Lebanon

36. “ Nations that encourage
financial investment in ICTs
are the most likely to have
increased digital opportunity
”

37. “ Nations that encourage
financial investment in ICTs
are the most likely to have
increased digital opportunity
”

38. 0.8
0.7
Digital Opportunity Index
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
Financial Investment Index

39. Bottom 1/3 Top 1/3
Average DOI = 0.26 Average DOI = 0.53
Taiwan, Bahamas, St. Kitts S. Korea, Japan, Denmark

40. “ Nations that have a national
telecommunications
regulatory authority are the
most likely to have increased
digital opportunity
”

41. “ Nations that have
competition to provide
telecommunication services
are the most likely to have
increased digital opportunity
”

42. “ Nations that competition to
provide telecommunication
services are the most likely
to have more inclusive ICT
access and use
”

43. “ Nations that have
competition to provide basic
telecommunication services
and (are the most likely to
have increased e-
government capacity
”

44. “ Nations that encourage
financial investment in ICTs
are the most likely to have
increased digital opportunity
”