Singapore leads in global IT rankings: study

Singapore has taken the lead in exploiting information and communication technology, said a study released on Wednesday. The United States, first last year, dropped to fifth place.

Singapore's rating at the top of the so-called 'networked readiness index' was based on several factors, including quality of math and science education and low telephone and Internet pricing, said the report released by the World Economic Forum.

'Singapore's remarkable performance is a consequence of the government's consistent and continuous efforts' to foster the technology, the report said. Mr Augusto Lopez-Claros of the Geneva-based forum, who
co-edited the report, said, 'Singapore is an excellent example of a country that has been able to make - in a relatively short period of time - enormous progress in putting (the technology) at the service of improved living standards.'

The United States' drop 'is less due to actual erosion in performance' than to the improvement of other ountries, the report said.

Iceland, in 10th place last year, moved up to second place.

Finland held onto third, and Denmark rose to fourth from fifth.

Rounding out the top 10 were Sweden, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland and Canada.

Also co-editing the report, which covered 104 economies, was Soumitra Dutta of the French-based international business school INSEAD.

From The Straits Times Interactive 9 March 2005