Broadband Adoption and Diffusion (BAD): A Framework

The aim of this chapter is to outline various factors reported in the 49 chapters of this handbook of research. The aim is also to organize identified factors in a meaningful manner in order to propose a framework of broadband adoption and diffusion. This chapter illustrates the fact that research on the adoption, diffusion, usage, and impact of broadband is clearly a global issue which requires a multidisciplinary approach. The proposed framework includes three levels of factors—macro factors, individual micro factors, and SME-level micro factors. These three levels of factors are relevant at different levels of development, deployment, and diffusion of broadband which persist in various developed and developing countries. The chapter concludes by suggesting that the proposed framework is based on a comprehensive set of factors observed in various countries, and future studies may use this framework to identify gaps and then bridge those gaps by conducting new studies.