Tietoliikenneyhteydet ja kuntien mahdollisuudet hyötyä digitalisaatiosta

Abstract

High-speed telecommunications have a positive impact on the development of regions and municipalities. A poor digital infrastructure can lead to digital exclusion or a digital divide. In Finland, the strategy has therefore been to ensure that everyone has access to high-speed broadband. This article asks what the digital divide between different kinds of municipalities is, and how this divide affects teleworking and the use of telehealth services, for example. Answers are sought through spatial data and statistical analyses based on open municipal statistics from Traficom and Ookla. The results show that the digital divide is verifiable both in the urban-rural dimension and in the development of the telecommunications infrastructure. In the well-connected municipalities, telework and the use of digital health services were more common. Without policy measures, the digital divide would probably be even larger, as Finland has promoted the deployment of fixed broadband as part of regional and rural policy.