The report, covering 144 countries, bases its rankings on ICT infrastructure, cost of access and the presence of the necessary skills to ensure an optimal use; uptake and use of ICT among governments, business and individuals; the business and innovation environment, and the political and regulatory framework; and the economic and social impacts accruing from ICT.
The WEF said some countries have been able to cross a "magic threshold", where matching investments in ICT with investment in skills and innovation significantly increases the return on ICT investments. However many countries, notably the BRICs and emerging markets, are still struggling to harness ICT to deliver competitiveness and well-being, the WEF warned.
Developed with Insead and sponsored by Cisco, the WEF's Networked Readiness Index uses a combination of data from public sources and an executive opinion survey to rank countries.
