The world has been more connected than ever in the last decade, making reliable Internet a crucial part of our daily lives. Today, whether we use the Internet for work or leisure, no one can deny the change it brought, especially during and after the pandemic.
The Emerging Digital Powerhouse Index is a study conducted by Airgain, an American wireless connectivity solutions company that evaluated several factors, including average internet speeds, mobile penetration, digital skills, and progress in deploying 5G. The study also included affordability and educational indicators, including enrollment in tertiary education.
The data was gathered on the said areas for 37 countries tracked by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and normalized so that each country received a score out of 100 on each criterion.
The results were underwhelming for the Philippines, as we ranked 33rd out of the 37 countries on the list. This reveals the slow progress of the country’s telecommunication sector relative to our peers despite the efforts to improve the country’s Internet connectivity.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) led the top 10 with a score of 440, followed by Finland (431) and South Korea (407).
Here’s the rest of the Top 10:
- UAE – 440
- Finland – 431
- South Korea – 407
- United States – 406
- Denmark – 405
- Qatar – 401
- Singapore – 393
- Norway – 390
- Netherlands – 383
- Australia – 377
The study showed that the UAE ranked highest for its 5G connectivity and significantly leads in the average mobile download speeds, at 360 Mbps, compared to neighboring Middle East countries like Qatar (344 Mbps) and Kuwait (232 Mbps). These three countries have the fastest mobile Internet speed in the world.
On the other hand, the study shows that Denmark and Singapore offer the most affordable broadband.
See also: PH lags behind Asia-Pacific neighbors in 5G speeds, availability
For the worst performers, Nigeria (0), Indonesia (135), South Africa (138), Mexico (170), and the Philippines (174) are the bottom five countries for digital connectivity.
Here’s the rest of the bottom 10:
28. Italy – 271
29. Chile – 229
30. Thailand – 218
31. India – 207
32. Brazil – 183
33. Philippines – 174
34. Mexico – 170
35. South Africa – 138
36. Indonesia – 135
37. Nigeria – 0
It’s a tale of two halves as four Asian countries led the top performers in the research, but four Asian countries were also included as the worst performers on the list.
Dr. Ali Sadri, CTO at Airgain, said, “Reliable connectivity is key for a modern world, and countries who neglect their infrastructure and investments in technology risk being left behind.”
The Philippines currently has three major players in the wireless telecommunications industry, led by PLDT’s Smart Telecommunications, Globe Telecoms, Inc., and DITO Telecommunity.