computerwoche.de

Archiv

Broadband puts NZ ahead of Australia in ICT competitiveness

19.09.2011
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has ranked Australia 14th - two spots behind neighbouring New Zealand - in a recent study of ICT competitiveness with a strong focus on broadband.

As an agency of the United Nations (UN), the ITU has released its Measuring the Information Society 2011 report which pits the ICT economy of 152 countries against each other.

Ranking is based on the agency's global ICT Development Index (IDI) which measures the evolution of ICT development, progress of ICT development, the digital divide and development potential of each country.

Broadband is a huge part of the IDI as it counts indicators such as mobile cellular subscriptions, households with a computer, fixed and mobile broadband Internet subscriptions. The report compares 2010 and 2008 scores.

South Korea fared best with a global IDI of 8.40. It was also the best rated country in 2008 with an IDI of 7.80. Sweden came in second but Iceland jumped four spots from 2008 to nab third place in the new report.

With an IDI of 7.43, New Zealand also jumped four places, surging ahead of Australia at 12th spot.