The 2005 e-Readiness Rankings

The Economist’s e-readiness rankings 2005 measure a country’s accumulated telecoms and computer infrastructure, and accord it the heaviest weight of all e-readiness determinants. The criteria they use also evolve with the infrastructure itself: this year hey have increased the importance of broadband (both fixed and mobile), which is why many e-ready leaders (including Switzerland topping at rank 4) have seen their rankings rise. Last year, Switzerland was singled out for its less effective (in comparison with Scandinavia), decentralised approach to e-business development. This year, however, our emphasis on next-generation infrastructure, security and ICT investment have all helped to make Switzerland our fastest gainer.

Switzerland’s good e-Readiness ranking is due to:

• The country’s highly skilled workforce and increased spending on ICT have helped to boost service and product innovation from companies in the industry.
• an unusually strong cable TV industry is giving the telecoms incumbent Swisscom a run for its money in the delivery of Internet and voice services to the home.
• Such competition has produced healthy growth of broadband adoption over the last two years, and is spurring innovation in the sector. Swisscom, for example, has been among the world’s most aggressive developers of wireless WiFi networks and services, and may be the first European telco to deliver IPTV (Internet TV) into the home.
• burgeoning online shopping market, which has led global e-commerce leaders such as eBay to establish a presence in the country
• the ringing of public spaces in Switzerland with WiFi hotspots
• the government’s use of the Internet for voting in the September 2004 federal election, the world’s first such example in a national ballot.