abstract
- The nature of the mobile Internet makes it an effective tool to bridge the digital and social divide. We examine the impact of mobile Internet coverage on social inequality in Mexico at the village level. We employ a dataset that integrates spatial data on 3G and 4G coverage of mobile network operators (MNOs), official information on social inequality, and data from National Population and Housing Censuses. To address endogeneity issues, we estimate ordered probit regressions with instrumental variables and compute Average Treatment Effects (ATE) and Average Treatment Effects on the Treated (ATET). Our main findings provide new evidence of the positive effect of mobile Internet coverage in reducing social inequality among Mexican villages, suggesting that more advanced mobile technologies provide greater benefits in addressing social disparities. The results highlight the significance of formulating and executing policies targeting universal mobile technology coverage, which will reduce social inequality in Mexico¿s most vulnerable villages. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.