If you happen to’re searching for one of the best digital high quality of life on this planet, Denmark seems to be the place to go.
In accordance with a examine launched Monday by VPN supplier Surfshark, Hamlet’s homeland completed first amongst 110 nations based mostly on 5 “pillars” of measurement: web affordability, web high quality, infrastructure, safety and authorities.
Throughout the pillars are 14 “indicators” that additional refine the standard of life measurement. For instance, throughout the infrastructure pillar there are two indicators: people utilizing the web and community readiness.
International locations had been graded based mostly on index factors with the very best worth equal to at least one. Denmark had the highest rating with a 0.83, adopted by South Korea (0.76), Finland (0.76), Israel (0.74), USA (0.74) and Singapore (0.72).
2021 Digital High quality of Life Index (Supply: Surfshark)
“The examine’s methodology appears fairly strong,” noticed Charles King, the principal analyst at Pund-IT, a know-how advisory agency, in Hayward, Calif.
“Surfshark has improved the examine because it was launched in 2019, each when it comes to the areas investigated and the variety of international locations and areas lined,” he advised TechNewsWorld.
Early Web Adopter
Roslyn Layton, senior vp at Strand Seek the advice of, a know-how consultancy in Copenhagen, Denmark famous that the findings within the Surfshark examine are just like these in stories by the Worldwide Telecommunications Union. “Denmark constantly scores on the high,” she advised TechNewsWorld.
“Denmark was an early web adopter, and it shortly put all its authorities on-line,” Layton, a naturalized Danish citizen, defined. “It created instruments that allowed people and companies to work together with the federal government.”
“In the USA, there’s numerous paperwork when coping with the federal government,” she continued. “Denmark instantly made that digital. That was a approach to stimulate adoption of the web by everybody.”
“In consequence, the federal government methods are very usable, built-in, seamless and safe,” she stated. “That’s been the case for the final 20 years.”
Nonetheless, within the Surfshark examine, the USA completed first within the digital authorities class, whereas Denmark positioned sixth.
Most and least developed international locations within the e-government class (Picture Credit score: Surfshark)
“Which may be warranted relative to different international locations, however our analysis has discovered the U.S. nonetheless has numerous room for enchancment in offering digital authorities providers,” noticed Joe Kane, director of spectrum and broadband coverage on the Info Know-how and Innovation Basis (ITIF), a science and know-how assume tank in Washington, D.C.
Extra Competitors Wanted
Kane asserted that Denmark has another benefits over the USA in terms of cultivating digital life there.
“Denmark is a wealthy, dense nation,” he advised TechNewsWorld. “This makes it comparatively straightforward to attach the entire county at inexpensive costs and supply high-quality authorities providers.”
Denmark ranks first in international locations with probably the most inexpensive web. On the different finish of the spectrum, the 5 least inexpensive web international locations all are on the continent of Africa. (Picture Credit score: SurfShark)
Layton added that Denmark additionally has a program to maintain down the prices of deploying networks. “Permissions to construct networks are streamlined,” she defined. “Suppliers are incentivized to compete and make investments.”
That contrasts with the aggressive scene in the USA. “In numerous locations within the U.S., there is no such thing as a competitors so there isn’t numerous incentive for suppliers to improve,” stated Jack E. Gold, founder and principal analyst with J.Gold Associates, an IT advisory firm in Northborough, Mass.
“That’s altering and altering shortly,” he advised TechNewsWorld, “due to 5G and stuck wi-fi entry in numerous areas.”
He maintained, nevertheless, that the USA is perhaps extra aggressive with different nations if it had a wide-ranging broadband coverage. “Many European international locations are placing insurance policies in place that say, ‘You’ll do that, and we’ll fund it.’ That offers some international locations a bonus,” he defined. “Within the U.S., it’s all about non-public enterprise.”
Doing Properly, Regardless of Challenges
King famous that whereas the U.S. is a number one market in each know-how growth and merchandise, the federal authorities’s business-friendly strategy had resulted in huge disparities in web high quality, availability, and value. “The ‘digital divide’ continues to be huge, particularly in rural and smaller communities,” he stated.
“In the USA there are individuals with out digital expertise,” Layton added. “They lack training. Many lack an curiosity to get on-line in any respect, though that’s undoubtedly modified with Covid — and since the USA is a a lot larger nation, you have got the prices of bringing networks to rural areas.”
“The U.S. has achieved nicely given its challenges,” she continued, “nevertheless it nonetheless has a difficulty with individuals not trusting the federal government.”
When evaluating the USA to different nations within the Surfshark examine, it’s essential to notice how a lot bigger the U.S. is to the international locations above it within the rankings, maintained Bruce Leichtman, president, principal and analyst with the Leichtman Analysis Group in Durham, N.H.
The U.S. has some 125 million households, in comparison with 2.7 million in Denmark, 21.5 million in South Korea, 1.5 million in Finland, and a couple of.1 million in Israel. “So, one might say that given the scale of the U.S., it’s performing notably nicely,” he advised TechNewsWorld.
Subjective Topic
Though South Korea completed second within the total rankings, it captured the highest spot in web high quality and each broadband and cellular velocity progress.
“One of many causes South Korea has numerous bandwidth is that gaming may be very widespread there,” Gold defined. He added that the federal government has made it a coverage to get everybody high-speed broadband within the subsequent couple of years.
Greatest and worst international locations for web high quality (Picture Credit score: Surfshark)
“South Korea has lengthy been proactive in supporting the event and deployment of modern internet-based providers and options,” noticed King. “Add in main tech firms, together with Samsung, SK and LG, and South Korea’s rating is not any shock.”
Lots of South Korea’s digital infrastructure is comparatively new, which contrasts with the USA. “Lots of the infrastructure now we have in place within the U.S. is 30, 40 years outdated and hasn’t been upgraded,” Gold stated. “Lots of the newer, high-growth international locations have been placing new stuff in place or upgrading over the previous few years. That makes an enormous distinction.”
Whereas Surfshark’s examine might intrigue some, Gold warned that the digital high quality of life could be a very subjective factor. “What you want and what I would like could also be very totally different from what our children want,” he stated.
Furthermore, the Surfshark findings could also be extra attention-grabbing to individuals outdoors the international locations within the examine than these in it. “Customers in each nation are usually proud of what they’ve, even when what they’ve is best or worse than different international locations,” noticed know-how analyst Jeff Kagan.
“Whereas some international locations are sooner than others, customers don’t know or care,” he advised TechNewsWorld. “So, whereas these research are at all times enjoyable to consider and speak about, I don’t assume they make any distinction on the satisfaction of customers.”
