The Impact of Mobile Broadband Infrastructure on Technological Innovation: An Empirical Analysis

Innovation is one of the drivers of national competitiveness and economic growth. Considering well-established information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure is essential for the national level of innovation, the ICT infrastructure such as mobile broadband has an impact on the innovation. Using longitudinal panel data, this study examines whether mobile broadband diffusion, R&D expenditure, education, income, and corruption perception index (CPI) have influenced technological innovation. The results of the data analysis suggest that mobile broadband infrastructure is one of the key drivers of technological innovation. This finding implies that mobile broadband diffusion stimulates knowledge-based innovation and contributes to economic growth. The study also finds that R&D expenditure is an influential factor of innovation, which implies that the improvement of knowledge capital by R&D investment can promote innovations. In addition, education and corruption perception index are positively associated with innovation, indicating that human capital and government efficiency can boost innovations.