UK twelfth in global ICT rankings

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has released its world ICT rankings – showing the UK beaten into twelfth place overall, with countries in Scandinavia and the Far East leading the way.

The number one spot is taken by Sweden, followed by Denmark and Iceland. The top 10 is dominated by European and Asian countries, including South Korea, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Taiwan, while the US only scrapes in one place above the UK, beaten out of the top 10 by neighbour Canada.

The biggest jump up the charts was made by Asian tiger and broadband trailblazer South Korea, which shot up 20 places since 1998. The rise of Asian countries in the index shows that knowledge of English is no longer key to a tech-based economy, the ITU report says.

What is key, however, is an educated and relatively cash-rich society, according to Michael Minges of ITU's market, economics and finance unit. "Until now, limited infrastructure has often been regarded as the main barrier to bridging the digital divide," he said in a statement. "Our research suggests that affordability and education are equally important factors."

The report cites the example of China, where over half of web users have been to university. China rates about halfway down the index, although several Chinese provinces including Hong Kong and Macao rate far higher (seventh and thirty-first place respectively).

The study investigated the adoption and use of a range of ICT equipment, including fixed and mobile phones and broadband. The index, which covers 178 countries worldwide, bases its judgements on a variety of variables including infrastructure and quality, as well as metrics like affordability and education, which the report views as key to boosting take-up of the technology.

Bottom of the index is the African republic of Niger, just behind Burkina Faso and Mali.

The report praises the work of projects in developing countries including Cyber City in Mauritius and Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor, saying that good ICT access is widely regarded as a jumpstart to a country's economic improvement and an important factor in ensuring quality education and healthcare.