Switzerland in 4th place
Switzerland continues to be one of the best countries in the world in terms of the use of and access to information and communication technologies.
Switzerland has moved up to fourth place in the annual ranking compiled by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). South Korea, Iceland and Denmark once again occupy the top positions in the ranking for the development of information and communication technologies (ICT). The "ICT Development Index" (IDI) published in Geneva on Tuesday takes into account access to technologies, their use and education as an indicator of ICT skills.
A good 47 percent of the global population is connected to the internet, according to the press release. In order to give more people access to the internet, global socio-economic inequalities must be reduced, said Secretary General Houlin Zhao. In particular, the cost of a private broadband internet connection is a major obstacle. Although these have fallen significantly on average worldwide, in many poor countries internet access remains "clearly unaffordable".
One solution could be cheaper mobile internet. However, the problem here is that the corresponding devices - such as smartphones - are too expensive for many people, explained the ITU. It is true that there are roughly as many mobile phone contracts worldwide as there are people. But in some regions, up to 40 percent of the population do not own or use a smartphone. (SDA)
