Can the income level of rural residents be improved by the Chinese "Broadband Village?": Evidence from a regression discontinuity design of the six pilot provinces.

The "Broadband Village" (B&V) initiative is a substantial investment in internet construction in rural areas in six western provinces implemented by the Chinese government since 2014. This study evaluates the effect this policy has had. Panel data of 1,049 counties in China from 2015 to 2019 are used for the regression discontinuity design (RD) to estimate the impact of B&V on the improvement of the income level of rural residents. The results show that, compared to the counties without the B&V policy, the income of rural residents in counties with B&V has increased by 1.468-1.518 times, which is nearly 1.3 times the sample mean of survey data, indicating that the income level of rural residents has been improved significantly by B&V. However, the quantile regression results show that the higher the income level of rural residents, the smaller the effect of this policy. From the dynamic effect of years, the influence curve of B&V on rural residents' income is an inverted U-shaped, first increasing and then decreasing, and the impact of this policy on the income level of highly-educated farmers is greater. Finally, three different methods are used to verify the robustness of the model.

Connecting humanity: assessing investment needs of connecting humanity to the Internet by 2030

Nearly half the global population aged 10 years and over ­ equating to some three billion people ­ has never used the Internet. Many of the unconnected live in rural and remote areas, where connectivity remains a challenge. A disproportionate number are women, particularly in Africa and South Asia, where the digital gender divide is particularly marked. And of course most are poor, lack basic literacy and, with only limited digital exposure, see little value in getting online. With just ten years remaining to meet the SDGs, this timely new report asks: What will it take to connect the world? How much investment is needed, where are the global 'pain points', and how can we mobilize the unprecedented levels of financing needed to extend networks to unserved communities?

Needs and possibilities for ship's crews at high seas to communicate with their home.

OBJECTIVES: Good communication between seafarers and their families at home is essential to compensate for the work-related strain experienced on board ships. This paper presents the needs and possibilities for communication with home in seafaring. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 323 seafarers were interviewed during their work assignments on board (the participation rate of 88.5%). The results were stratified by cultural background, family ties, rank groups and shipping routes. RESULTS: The average stay of the officers on board the current vessels lasted 4 months and that of the ratings 9 months (p < 0.001). About a third of the officers and a half of the ratings evaluated these lengths of stay as too long. In the study, only 50 participants (15.5%) mentioned that the Internet on board their previous vessel was available for private use. Only 40.6% of these crew members stated that they had used it on a daily basis. Particularly the seafarers assigned to worldwide destinations and crew members without children experienced the insufficient possibilities for telecommunication as work-related strain (OR 1.87, 95% CI: 1.15-3.04 respective OR 2.00, 95% CI: 1.03-3.88). The average amount of time spent on telecommunication amounted to more than 2.5 h/week (which equals approximately 20 min/day). The average cost of about USD 30/week for telecommunication was considered by 24.7% of the seafarers as "much too high." CONCLUSIONS: The fact that several crew members considered the time spans of their assignments as too long should lead to certain adjustments. In view of the importance of good options for shipboard telecommunication, this study makes an essential contribution to understanding the crews' needs. Measures should be taken to improve communication by allowing an easier access to information and communication technology (ICT) (on board and ashore), by offering cheaper fees, and by providing Internet access in their cabins. The study results show a substantial need to improve the means of communication on board ships. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(6):805-15.

The Effect of Lower Transaction Costs on Social Security Disability Insurance Application Rates and Participation.

Transaction costs pose significant barriers to participation in public programs. We analyze how Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application behavior was affected by iClaim, a 2009 innovation that streamlined the online application process. We use a difference-in-differences design to compare application rates before and after 2009 across counties with varying degrees of access to high-speed internet. We estimate that counties with internet connectivity one standard-deviation above the mean experienced a 1.6 percent increase in SSDI applications, and a 2.8 percent increase in appeals after the reform. We estimate that the increase in applications due to iClaim can explain 15 percent of the overall increase in applications between 2008 and 2011. Higher exposure to the online application led to a slightly larger increase in SSDI awards, meaning there was a small but significant increase in the overall award rate. Application rates increased the most in rural areas, while appeals and awards had more significant increases in urban areas. These results suggest that the online application reduced transaction costs to applicants, and the lower costs improved the overall targeting efficiency of the application process.