Can Internet Construction Promote Urban Green Development? A Quasi-Natural Experiment from the “Broadband China”

Abstract

Broadband, as a key element of Internet infrastructure, plays an important role in breaking down barriers to the flow of production factors and promoting green economic transformation. Using the “Broadband China” strategy as a quasi-natural experiment, this study examines the impact and mechanisms of Internet infrastructure on urban green development by constructing a multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) model based on panel data from 277 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2009 to 2019. The results show that the “Broadband China” pilot policy significantly promotes urban green development, with green technological innovation and talent aggregation playing important moderating roles. However, there is a certain lag in the impact of the “Broadband China” pilot policy on urban green development. Furthermore, our heterogeneity analysis suggests that the promotion of the “Broadband China” pilot policy for urban green development mainly exists in central cities, large-scale cities, and resource-based cities, as opposed to surrounding cities, small-scale cities, and non-resource-based cities. The above findings clarify the impact of Internet construction on urban green development and provide a theoretical and practical exploration for achieving a win-win situation of high-quality urban development and environmental protection.

The Past, Present, and Future of the Internet: A Statistical, Technical, and Functional Comparison of Wired/Wireless Fixed/Mobile Internet

“…Required time and costs of establishment, setup, subscription, and service. Some uses of the Internet are social networking, online shopping and banking, digital trading, cryptocurrency, intelligent automation and control, smart home, smart city, virtual education and upskilling, and online interactive games [11]. So, the communications, social, economic, banking, business, industrial, cultural, educational, health, and medical development of the countries is highly dependent on the Internet.…”

The Past, Present, and Future of the Internet: A Statistical, Technical, and Functional Comparison of Wired/Wireless Fixed/Mobile Internet

“…Required time and costs of establishment, setup, subscription, and service. Some uses of the Internet include social networking, online shopping and banking, digital trading, cryptocurrency, intelligent automation and control, smart home, smart city, virtual education and upskilling, and online interactive games [11]. So, the communications, social, economic, banking, business, industrial, cultural, educational, health, and medical development of countries is highly dependent on the Internet.…”