<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The aim of this paper is to analyse the effect of the mobile phone penetration rate on inequality in Western Balkan countries and to provide empirical evidence. We explore the question of whether cell phone diffusion helps to decrease inequality and whether it has a positive income equality effect. In the developed conceptual framework, we consider that people with access to mobile telephony also have access to Wi-Fi and GPS and that individuals can perform different activities, such as engaging in e-commerce, e-governance, health, and education; paying bills; saving money; and transferring money to other persons. This represents a good foundation for poor persons exit the cycle of deprivation and leads to the development of equal opportunities. We analyse the impact of mobile phone penetration on inequality in Western Balkan countries by using ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares models (Asongu, 2015). Our results confirm the income-redistributive effect of mobile phone penetration.</p></abstract>

The aim of this paper is to analyse the effect of the mobile phone penetration rate on inequality in Western Balkan countries and to provide empirical evidence. We explore the question of whether cell phone diffusion helps to decrease inequality and whether it has a positive income equality effect. In the developed conceptual framework, we consider that people with access to mobile telephony also have access to Wi-Fi and GPS and that individuals can perform different activities, such as engaging in e-commerce, e-governance, health, and education; paying bills; saving money; and transferring money to other persons. This represents a good foundation for poor persons exit the cycle of deprivation and leads to the development of equal opportunities. We analyse the impact of mobile phone penetration on inequality in Western Balkan countries by using ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares models (Asongu, 2015). Our results confirm the income-redistributive effect of mobile phone penetration.

Mobile phone penetration and its impact on inequality in the Western Balkan countries

University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”

Zagreb International Review of Economics and Business

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the effect of the mobile phone penetration rate on inequality in Western Balkan countries and to provide empirical...

Mobile phone penetration and its impact on inequality in the Western Balkan countries

Published Online: Dec 16, 2019

Page range: 111 - 131

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/zireb-2019-0023

Keywords
Mobile phones, Western Balkan countries, inequality, poverty

© 2019 Mjellma Carabregu Vokshi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mobile phone penetration and its impact on inequality in the Western Balkan countries

Published Online: Dec 16, 2019

Page range: 111 - 131

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/zireb-2019-0023

KeywordsMobile phones, Western Balkan countries, inequality, poverty

© 2019 Mjellma Carabregu Vokshi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Mobile phones, Western Balkan countries, inequality, poverty