Global improvements have been seen in overall levels of national and economic digitization, according to Huawei’s 2016 Global Connectivity Index (GCI) available here. In its third year, the report measures the progress of 50 nations in investing in and deploying Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to achieve economic digitisation. The greatest improvements across the globe have been seen in broadband coverage and speed, but countries are also making headway with cloud, big data, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. In Europe, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the UK are in the top rankings.
The study measures how countries are progressing with digital transformation based on 40 indicators that cover the supply, demand, experience, and potential of five technology enablers: broadband, data centres, cloud, big data, and IoT. Investing in these five technologies enables nations to digitize their economies.
The top 10 countries experienced few changes, other than the UK and Denmark, whose gains drove South Korea down to 7th. The UK has made great strides in extending the coverage and quality of high-speed broadband. Improvements in 4G coverage, international Internet bandwidth, download speeds, and mobile broadband affordability have pushed up the UK’s GCI score and ranking, it says. UK has also increased investment in big data and IoT, in conjunction with better security for DCs and networks. These initiatives are helping the UK to digitize industry and grow its digital economy.
Denmark has also improved 4G coverage as well as international Internet bandwidth and coverage thanks to increased investment. It’s also increased investment in IoT and security, reflecting a focus on high-speed broadband coverage and IoT initiatives.
In the UK, the banking and finance sector is highlighted in the report as having invested in technology and seeing returns.