Advanced users and the adoption of high speed broadband: Results of a living lab study in the Netherlands

•Utilizes the “user as innovation” approach to examine residential user involvement in ICT innovation•Defines advanced users - in contrast to ordinary users - based on level of digital skills and local involvement•Combines a quantitative ICT adoption perspective with quasi-experimental choice design•Complementary choices of advanced users drive adoption of high-speed broadband infrastructure and advanced ICT services.•Advanced users contribute to product and service concepts of new ICT services.

In linking the literature on the adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with the lead user theory, the paper presents the results of a living lab study on the adoption of high speed broadband and advanced ICT services in the Netherlands. The paper proposes that advanced users are able to shape ICT technologies based on their status, their needs and their ability to propose new solutions. In order to examine the role of advanced users, we use data from an on-line survey conducted in a living lab called “Kenniswijk” (Knowledge District) in the Netherlands carried out among 2994 residential users in July 2009. In a first step, the paper examines the leading-edge status of advanced users. Afterwards it studies the extent to which the choice of these users to adopt high speed broadband is related to their decision to adopt advanced ICT services. Finally, the paper utilizes an experimental choice design in order to examine the role of advanced users in defining new product and service characteristics of advanced ICT services. Our research shows that an advanced group of users expected to benefit from using a variety of advanced ICT services in areas such as e-surveillance and local television. In addition, they can contribute to the product and service generation phase within a living lab environment.