On 2 March 2009, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released its new index on the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) in 154 countries, with the index led by Northern Europe and the Republic of Korea.
According to the study, from 2002 to 2007, the index was led by Sweden, followed by the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Holland, Iceland and Norway. These countries are followed by the high-income countries of Europe, Asia and North America, while the least developed countries continue to make up the lower end of the index with limited access to ICT infrastructure, including mobile and fixed telephone services, Internet and broadband.
It is also reported that most progress has been made in terms of ICT access, in the face of lower growth in the use of these technologies, despite the considerable increases seen, during the five year period, in the number of Internet users in certain developing countries, such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China and Vietnam.
Key ICT indicators from the latest figures of 2008, show that there has been a clear shift from fixed to mobile cellular telephony and that, by the end of 2008, there were over three times more mobile cellular subscriptions than fixed telephone lines globally. Two thirds of those are now in the developing world compared with less than half in 2002.
In terms of prices, there are still significant differences between countries in relation to income levels, with high income countries paying relatively little for ICT services, and low income countries paying more for the same services. This is mainly due to high Internet broadband tariffs that are charged in some developing countries.
Further information:
- New ITU ICT Development Index compares 154 countries - Northern Europe tops ICT developments http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/07.html
