The diffusion and spatial distribution of new telecommunication technologies in the Italian region of Campania

The diffusion and spatial distribution of technological innovation are nowadays widely analyzed by many researchers. Because of high pervasiveness and strong linkages with the socioeconomic environment and the mobility system, one of the main tasks deals with the analysis of new telecommunication technologies. The recent improvements in the field add an alternative, feasible, perspective to physical movement (substitution and complementary effects), so contributing to the growth or decline of congested and peripheral areas in developed countries. Our Purpose is that of adding a spatial perspective to the current theory and practice of forecasting analysis, considering the decentralization oppurtunities offered by telematic factors. In this paper, we therefore analyze the telecommunication market in the Campania region of Italy, compare its growth rate to the overall trend, and focus on the subregional components. Furthermore, at a deeper level of detail, we study the congested and overcrowded metropolitan area of Naples, where urban planners and policy makers hoped that the mainspring of new technologies could help in reducing congested networks and air pollution emissions. The results of our analysis show, on the contrary, that the opportunity for decentralization has not been taken up in practice, and that the introduction of new telematic factors is still far from the levels measured in the most developed areas of the Country (Milan, Rome, etc.). © 1992.