Caribbean World Rankings in Networked Readiness Index show Greater divide in use of ICT ?

TECH NEWS– As the scope of technology continues to expand rapidly, so too does the digital divide between countries making effective use of tele­communications. According to a report published by the World Economic Forum entitled Global Information Technology: Living In A Hyper-Connected World, Barbados is ranked 39th out of 142 countries in its Networked Readiness Index. The only other Caribbean territories that feature among the Top 100 are Trinidad & Tobago (72), Jamaica (85) and Guyana (100).

Reacting to this development, LIME chief technical officer Glenn Thorpe, noted that “in the decade or so, Barbados, and for that matter Barbadians, have been successful in leveraging information and communication technologies”. “Collectively, we have demonstrated our competence in the use of technology in the enterprise of business,” he said.

Spain is ranked 38th and Oman 40th in the list that was topped by Sweden and Singapore. Among other countries in the Top 10, the United States ranks eighth and Britain tenth. The report compares the availability and use of technology in 142 countries and focuses on what the authors describe as “the transformational impacts of ICT on the economy and society”.

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