The impact of broadband and other infrastructure on the location of new business establishments

This paper analyses the impact of broadband infrastructure, along with a range of other local characteristics such as motorways and other infrastructure, availability of human capital and access to third level educational facilities, on the location of new business establishments. The sample period spans the introduction and recent history of broadband in Ireland, and during this period 86% of the current motorway network was constructed. Availability of broadband infrastructure is a significant determinant, but its effects may be mediated by the presence of sufficiently high human capital in the area. This indicates that ICT infrastructure is a necessary, but not sufficient factor in new firm formation