TY - CHAP T1 - IMPACT OF BROADBAND ON ECONOMY T2 - Policies and Tools for Efficient Design of Broadband Development Y1 - 2014 A1 - Christos Bouras A1 - Vasileios Kokkinos A1 - Georgios Diles A1 - Lefteris Topaloglou A1 - Christos Bouras A1 - Andrej Kos A1 - Andrew Frank AB -

In this chapter, we investigate the impact of broadband on the growth and employment in SEE countries, namely Austria, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Greece, Montenegro, Slovenia. Specifically, we define the macroeconomic evidence required for the analysis. We then enforce regression analysis on data collected by the respective countries in order to find the correlation between broadband, growth and employment. The period of the examination was set to be the last decade in order to obtain an extended amount of data, and take into account possible influences on the results by the economic crisis and the subsequent recession of the last years in the area. We also estimate the cost savings to companies and the state by the usage of broadband-based e-government services. We then forecast these benefits to 2015 when the respective countries are expected to have reached the e-government usage level which is set by the European digital agenda (Digital agenda, 2013).

JF - Policies and Tools for Efficient Design of Broadband Development ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Policies and Tools for Efficient Design of Broadband Development Y1 - 2014 A1 - Lefteris Topaloglou A1 - Christos Bouras A1 - Andrej Kos A1 - Andrew Frank, Andrew (editors) AB -

Broadband is the fourth strategic pillar of the Digital Agenda for Europe. The connectivity and internet access it provides is a key enabler for a number of important services for citizens, businesses and the public sector. The ambitious targets set in the Digital Agenda indicate the importance of broadband for the economy of the EU and citizen welfare.

The SIVA project supports the goals of EU's strategy on digital technologies (namely the Digital Agenda for Europe) and aims to contribute to the improvement of virtual accessibility in South East Europe through the promotion of broadband access, supplementing physical accessibility and thus narrowing the digital gap in the SEE area.

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