{
  "title": "Estimating Digital Infrastructure Investment Needs to Achieve Universal Broadband",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, February 10, 2023",
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  "summary": "We develop a detailed model to evaluate the necessary investment requirements to achieve affordable universal broadband. The results indicate that approximately $418 billion needs to be mobilized to connect all unconnected citizens globally (targeting 40-50 GB/Month per user with 95 percent reliabil",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Summary findings",
      "content": "- Approximately $418 billion needs to be mobilized to connect all unconnected citizens globally (targeting 40-50 GB/Month per user with 95 percent reliability).\n- The bulk of additional investment is for emerging market economies: 73 percent.\n- Low-income developing countries account for 24 percent of the additional investment.\n- If the data consumption level is lowered to 10-20 GB/Month per user, the total cost decreases by up to about half.\n- Raising data consumption to 80-100 GB/Month per user leads to a cost increase of roughly 90 percent relative to the baseline.\n- Varying the peak hour quality of service level from the baseline 95 percent reliability to only 50 percent reliability results in a 40 percent cost decrease."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Investment breakdown and scope",
      "content": "- Global total mobilization required: $418 billion.\n- Target data consumption in baseline: 40-50 GB/Month per user.\n- Baseline quality of service (peak hour reliability): 95 percent.\n- Share of investment by country group:\n  - Emerging market economies: 73 percent.\n  - Low-income developing countries: 24 percent."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Sensitivity analyses and scenarios",
      "content": "- Data consumption scenarios:\n  - Lower consumption scenario: 10-20 GB/Month per user → total cost decreases by up to about half.\n  - Higher consumption scenario: 80-100 GB/Month per user → cost increases by roughly 90 percent relative to the baseline.\n- Quality-of-service scenario:\n  - Reducing peak hour reliability from 95 percent to 50 percent → 40 percent cost decrease."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy implications and recommendations",
      "content": "- Broadband policy assessments should be explicit about:\n  - The quantity of data provided to users (GB/Month per user).\n  - The reliability of service provided to users (peak hour quality/reliability).\n- Failure to specify data quantity and reliability will lead to inaccurate estimates and, ultimately, to poor broadband policy decisions.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Working Paper\n  - Working Paper (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Working Paper (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2023/02/10/estimating-digital-infrastructure-investment-needs-to-achieve-universal-broadband-529669"
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    "Authors: Edward Oughton",
    "Published: February 10, 2023",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400233623.001",
    "Approximately $418 billion needs to be mobilized to connect all unconnected citizens globally (targeting 40-50 GB/Month per user with 95 percent reliability).",
    "The bulk of additional investment is for emerging market economies: 73 percent.",
    "Low-income developing countries account for 24 percent of the additional investment.",
    "If the data consumption level is lowered to 10-20 GB/Month per user, the total cost decreases by up to about half.",
    "Raising data consumption to 80-100 GB/Month per user leads to a cost increase of roughly 90 percent relative to the baseline.",
    "Varying the peak hour quality of service level from the baseline 95 percent reliability to only 50 percent reliability results in a 40 percent cost decrease.",
    "Global total mobilization required: $418 billion.",
    "Target data consumption in baseline: 40-50 GB/Month per user.",
    "Baseline quality of service (peak hour reliability): 95 percent.",
    "Share of investment by country group:",
    "Data consumption scenarios:",
    "Quality-of-service scenario:",
    "Broadband policy assessments should be explicit about:",
    "Failure to specify data quantity and reliability will lead to inaccurate estimates and, ultimately, to poor broadband policy decisions.",
    "**Working Paper**"
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