New research by Dr Zhiwu Wei published in Asian Development Policy Report 2025 Background Papers

New research by Dr Zhiwu Wei, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and a member of the Lab for Interdisciplinary Spatial Analysis, has been published in the Asian Development Policy Report 2025 Background Papers. This work contributes to the Asian Development Bank’s flagship report, Harnessing Digital Transformation for Good: Asian Development Policy Report 2025.

Dr Wei collaborated with Professor Neil Lee from the London School of Economics and Dr Yohan Iddawela of the Asian Development Bank on this study, which examines the impact of mobile internet access on household wealth in the Philippines, a country that experienced a rapid expansion of internet coverage in the late 2010s.

Key findings from the research include:

• Significant increases in household wealth due to mobile internet access, especially in rural areas and among less-educated households

• Enhanced employment opportunities for secondary earners

• Limited impact on overall female employment, suggesting the need for complementary policies to ensure inclusive benefits

To read the full paper, please click on the link below: 

https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-document/1052731/adpr2025bp-mobile-internet-connectivity-philippines.pdf

For the full report, Harnessing Digital Transformation for Good: Asian Development Policy Report 2025, visit:

https://www.adb.org/publications/asian-development-policy-report-2025