Between 2000 and 2007, the Swedish rural development program invested SEK 4 billion on broadband access. The recent program invests another SEK 3.25 billion. Broadband is expected to increase employment and business activity in rural regions. However, there is not much research on broadband access and the effects of broadband are still uncertain.

The current project examines whether the recent investments in fibre optic broadband affects school achievements. The supply of broadband is measured at the parish level and we estimate the broadband effect on upper-secondary grades and the probability of finishing upper-secondary education.

The project is co-authored with Erik Grenestam, a graduate student at the department of economics, Lund University. The project is intended to end in autumn 2017.