e-readiness rankings

The Economist Intelligence Unit has published its 2007 E-Readiness Rankings, which you can find here. This is effectively a league table of countries, ranked according to internet accessibility. This year there are some interesting findings.

The first thing to note is the change in methodology by the EIU this year. Instead of just the availability of the internet in a country, rankings depend on the speed, security and affordability of internet connections. And the use of high-speed, safe internet is not enough to secure a high spot - the actual delivery and consumption of services online is given greater weight now. Overall, it's a more complex picture of e-readiness, but it's a more accurate one.

In terms of the rankings, the Scandinavians are the big winners - Denmark are 1st, Sweden joint 2nd, Finland 10thand Norway 12th. The US is joint 2nd, while Britain lies in 7th. Scandinavian nations have long led the world in digital development - Manuel Castells wrote of this a decade ago and it remains true today. Hopefully Knowledge Politics will be examining the reasons for their continuig success in a forthcoming report.

The most improved nations in the rankings were from Asia. Hong Kong (4th), Singapore (6th), South Korea (16th), Taiwan (17th), and Japan (18th) all increased their positions. The EIU puts the change down to governmental commitment to the development of the digital infrastructure. African nations also made good progress.

Overall findings were encouraging, with the report showing that broadband is becoming more affordable around the world and the digital divide is falling. Finally, most governments are waking up to the fact that the information society doesn't just happen, it is made to happen.