Tunisia made the top 50 on the global list of leading information and communication technologies nations, according to an ICT report published over the weekend. Sweden topped the list of network readiness rankings, followed by Singapore, Finland, Switzerland and the United States.
Most African countries continued their “disappointing” fall from the top, the report published by the World Economic Forum and the French management school INSEAD, reported.
Although the report was initially published on April 12, analysts in Tunisia are just now talking about the positives from making the top 50.
“It is a great step that shows Tunisia is really making progress in the ICT sector in the country and in comparison to other places. We are a leader, especially in Africa,” said Ibrahim Abuzeikr, a Tunis-based IT analyst.
The report, titled “Transformations 2.0” highlighted the rise of ICT infrastructure over the past ten years.
“The last decade has seen information and communication technologies dramatically transforming the world, enabling innovation and productivity increases, connecting people and communities, and improving standards of living and opportunities across the globe,” said the report.
“While changing the way individuals live, interact and work, ICT has also proven to be a key precondition for enhanced competitiveness and economic and societal modernisation, as well as an important instrument for bridging economic and social divides and reducing poverty.” The anniversary edition looks ahead to the next ICT-enabled developments – transformations 2.0, which it expects to rapidly propel human progress further forward.
The report assesses 138 nations that make up 99 % of the world’s gross domestic product, on factors ranging from the cost of mobile phone calls and available internet bandwidth to the quality of education, “to determine which countries are best positioned to compete in the information-intensive 21st century economy.”
By Jonathan Terry
