New insights from a multilevel approach to the regional digital divide in the European Union

This paper contributes to the literature on digital divide by analysing regional- and country level determinants of the regional digital divide in the EU, based on panel data and using the multilevel analysis-the three level random slope model. The results indicate that only a mix of effective regional and national measures could mitigate the regional digital divide in the EU. Stimulating regional economic growth, increasing the tertiary education attainments, boosting R&D expenditure, and discouraging early leaving from education are regional-and national level policy measures that are found to successfully reduce the regional digital divide in the EU.