Rural connectivity: Economic benefits of closing the rural digital divide

Chorus commissioned NZIER to assess the potential benefits of closing the urban-rural digital divide. We consider how digital technology improves how people communicate, work, learn and access services and entertainment.

 These improvements depend on the degree of access people have to digital technologies and their skills. Those with unfettered access to digital technologies are most able to capture these benefits. Our findings suggest that the total benefit is in the order of $16.5 billion over the next ten years.