A new study, commissioned by Nokia Siemens Networks is being billed as the first index to examine quality as well as quantity of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) usage and infrastructure.
The Connectivity Scorecard was created by Professor Leonard Waverman, of the London Business School. The Scorecard is designed to measure the extent to which technologies that make up connectivity and the way that people use these technologies enhance social and economic prosperity around the world.
According to Waverman, “businesses and governments must make better use of their communications and computing infrastructure if they are to benefit from the full economic and social benefits of ICT.”
According to a release announcing the results of the survey:
The Connectivity Scorecard ranks the United States first in a group of 16 innovation driven economies [as defined by the World Economic Forum], although its score is only 6.97 out of a possible 10.0. The differentiated nature of the Scorecard compared to other rankings is illustrated by the fact that Korea, typically a high scorer on other indexes, is ranked 10th on the list, with a rating of just 4.78.
Russia placed first among the nine nations that are classified in the study as resource or efficiency driven economies. The country’s high literacy rate, along with solid scores on several measures of usage and infrastructure, especially mobile usage, resulted in a rating of 6.11. Malaysia finished second, while India and Nigeria placed at the bottom of the rankings, with scores of 1.68 and 1.10 respectively. (The scores of the innovation-driven economies and the efficiency and resource driven economies are not comparable, as different sets of criteria, taking account of different circumstances in the two sets of countries, have been used to determine scores.)
According to Ilkka Lakaniemi, head of global political dialogues and initiatives at Nokia Siemens Networks, “This study is a call to arms for government and businesses. In a period of great economic uncertainty there are great benefits to be gained from the effective use of communications infrastructure. And as we move toward the vision of five billion people connected by 2015, policy makers and business leaders must simultaneously encourage the deployment of infrastructure and invest in the complementary assets – people – that will enable this infrastructure to be used to its maximum potential.”
For more information, check out the Connectivity Scorecard Web site.
I agree. Communications technology is very important. I think that countries like India will be gaining ground in the future and implementing more communications technology. Definitely something to look out for.