The aim of this report is to assist policy makers in providing an overview of how broadband physical
coverage and availability can be measured. It first summarises what data are available from official and
non-official sources. The approach taken by the report is to consider coverage and availability related to
different types of technologies. These include Digital Subscriber Line (DSL or xDSL), cable networks
(i.e. cable modem), Fibre to the Premises (i.e. FTTH/B for homes and businesses), 3G (including WCDMA
and CDMA-2000), satellite and WiMAX technologies. This is because every technology capable
of providing high speed Internet access involves specific issues when measuring coverage and availability.
Accordingly, categorisation by technology is the most consistent way to approach this task. For every
broadband technology, the available indicators will be presented, and this report discusses to what extent
they are comparable.
This report does not address metrics on the actual take-up of broadband services or penetration rates
which are based on different measures and for which cross-country data are much more consistent. The
report is aimed at providing information on the advantages and pitfalls of existing indicators used to
measure broadband coverage. There is not necessarily a single indicator which should be used when
assessing broadband coverage since this depends on what measures policy makers require: for example
measuring the digital divide which may exist in a country, measuring the availability of broadband access
for business, measuring broadband availability for residential customers, etc. There is no attempt in the
paper to draw a conclusion as to the ideal indicator which should be used. However, it is important that
OECD countries try to ensure a better consistency in the use of indicators to measure availability of
broadband.
The paper, in certain tables, lists all OECD countries even though they may be using different
indicators to measure broadband coverage. The purpose in doing so is to show which indicators countries
use and not to try and equate indicators that are by nature different.
Indicators of Broadband Coverage
Working paper
OECD Digital Economy Papers
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Abstract
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20 June 2024