Determinants of Personal Telecommunication Expenditure of Youth: With Special Reference to Balangoda Divisional Secretariat Division

Abstract

This research has been conducted to identify the factors which affect the personal telecommunication expenditure of youth. The selected population for this research was the young people who live in urban, rural and estate sectors in Balangoda Divisional Secretariat area. Balangoda Divisional Secretariat area is comprised with 53 Grama Niladhari Divisions. Among those 53 Grama Niladari Divisions, 6 Grama Niladari Divisions such as Balangoda town and Thumbagoda represent the urban sector, Rassagala and Kiridigala represent the rural sector, Pettigala and Kirimatitenna represent the estate sector. As the initial step, 120 youth were selected for the sample which represents the urban, rural and estate sector where each sector represents 40 individuals. Cluster sampling method was used to categorize individuals according to their living sector. The data were analyzed using Multiple Regression Analysis and Chi-Square test. In this analysis, the telecommunication expenditure was the dependent variable and independent variables were, monthly income or transfers received, the mostly used type of mobile device, number of devices in possess, amount of sms/mms messages send per day, the type of the default mobile connectivity and amount of family members. Separate models were run for the three sectors (urban, rural and estate) and it was found that, the type of mostly used mobile device by an individual and monthly income or transfers received by an individual were the only significant factors for the urban sector. Monthly income or transfers received, amount of sms/mms send per day by an individual, number of mobile devices possessed by an individual and number of family members were significant for the rural sector. In the estate sector, monthly income or transfers receive and family members were the only significant variables according to the findings.