Broadband internet access areas of influence (buffer zones)
Use case adapted from the UN-GGIM Europe report on “Data Integration – Definition of priority user needs for combinations of data” published in October, 2015.
Statistics Portugal produces a broadband internet coverage indicator as a result from the need to include this dimension in the competitiveness index of the Regional Development Composite Index at NUTS III level. This indicator intends to reflect the supply of an important technological service that is essential to account in the assessment of regional competitiveness. The main goal of Regional Development Composite Index is to provide results that allow for the monitoring of regional disparities and that support the definition and evaluation of territorial based public policies.
The broadband internet access indicator was created based on spatial data information on points of distribution of the broadband internet access network made available by Portugal Telecom. Based on the theoretical curves that relate the speed according to the distance for copper cables and resorting to GIS techniques it was possible to calculate areas of influence within a 2 500 m range. By applying buffer zones it was possible to determine areas of influence of the PT ADSL network features. The combination of these buffer zones with the Administrative Map of Portugal and by using Geospatial Analysis techniques, made it possible to obtain the broadband internet access areas of influence associated to each NUTS III region and then derive a proportion of area covered with broadband internet access in the total area of the NUTS III region.