UK Tops New G7 Focused Digital Connectivity Readiness Index

Technical consultancy firm FarrPoint has today published their first International Digital Connectivity Readiness Index (IDCRI), which ranks the United Kingdom top against the G7 nations. The index ranks countries by the quality and coverage of their digital infrastructure (broadband, 5G etc.), as well as other areas like digital skills and online security etc.

The scores contained within this report are based on key indicators gathered from a series of data sources, such as Ofcom and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK. The infrastructure side covers four key indicators based on metrics around Gigabit Broadband, “Decent Fixed Connectivity” (this isn’t defined), 4G and 5G mobile connectivity.

However, on the adoption side, eight key indicators have been produced looking at the following categories: Online Households, Digital Skills, Security Online, Online Wellbeing, Access to Public Services, Affordability, the Digital Economy and Innovation.

Overall the UK manages to top the report and beat the other G7 countries, but it’s also clear that we still need to address challenges in areas such as Online Wellbeing, Security, and Innovation. The UK ranks in the middle for digital infrastructure, while our strongest categories are in Digital Adoption, the Digital Economy, Online Households, and Digital Skills.

By comparison, the USA and Germany share 2nd place, while Italy came last. Sadly, the full report only offers a fairly limited high-level overview of each country and doesn’t include much detail on the individual ranking categories, but it’s still an interesting table for a quick glance.

Matthew Izatt-Lowry, FarrPoint’s Head of Economics, said:

“Our International Digital Connectivity Readiness Index report underscores the vital role digital connectivity plays in driving economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability. As the global economy increasingly relies on digital infrastructure, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of each country is paramount for policymakers to make informed, evidence-based decisions.”