Data Infrastructure Investment Leads to GDP Growth

The internet has led to economic growth within the country and will continue to do so if investment in data infrastructure is made. According to a study conducted in the International Economics & Economic Policy Journal, the expansion of the internet leads directly to increased goods and services a country produces (Welfens & Perret, 2014). The greater the integration of the internet and its networking capabilities, the higher the growth of national production leaving one to conclude that focusing on developing stronger information and data sharing systems can have significant benefits for regional development.

The study found that the amount of time people spent on the internet in meaningful searches led to an increase in gross domestic product (GDP). A 10% relevant share of time budget use of the internet led to 2k-5% increase in gross domestic product. At 20% usage this would increase GDP to 4.7-10.4%.

Meaningful searches and web based activities leads to greater knowledge, job exploration, purchasing products, or interacting in a way that produces a meaningful output for society. As people spend more time engaging in these useful activities, they also increase their knowledge and commerce in a way that improves national output.

Governments should consider the benefits of increasing their data infrastructure investments to ensure products, information, and resources are moving quickly throughout local regions. For businesses and professionals that rely heavily on information and financial transactions, an increase in communication abilities has significant influence on their firms performance.

From a GDP demand side perspective, investment in data infrastructure has an impact on companies production capacity. A formula helps us understand this relationship. Y real output = C consumption + I Investment + G Government Consumption + Xnet Current Account.

Y=C+I+G+Xnet

As private and public resources are allocated to network creation, the economy begins to expand as more people use that system to accumulate new knowledge. This change becomes more apparent in educational opportunities, research, business networking, and purchasing behavior. It also has tertiary benefits for society based on idea sharing and household productivity.

Increases in communications infrastructure, like the internet and business networks, creates advantages for personal and commercial activities that lead to economic growth. Development of data infrastructure will also have a significant impact on the growth and development of clusters within a region that rely heavily on personal and business information sharing. Restructuring and enhancing local telecommunications infrastructure can be an important component for expanding future business development opportunities.

Welfens, P. & Perret, J. (2014). Information & communication technology and true real GDP: economic analysis and findings for selected countries. International Economics & Economic Policy, 11 (1/2).