Qatar Ranks 28th in the World for Network Readiness

Doha, April 11 (QNA) - A global study has positioned Qatar as the 28th in the world for network readiness. The 11th annual Global Information Technology Report, prepared by leading business school INSEAD and the World Economic Forum, examined the networked readiness of 142 developed and developing countries worldwide, accounting for over 98% of the world s GDP. The index measures how each of these markets is leveraging advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) to drive economic productivity and social development. Qatar was one of several Arab countries in the top 40, sitting one place behind Bahrain (27) and ahead of the United Arab Emirates (30), Saudi Arabia (34) and Oman (40). In particular, it was cited as creating one of the best environments for entrepreneurship worldwide - coming second out of all 142 countries. In addition, the nation scored strongly for the strong support of the government to boost ICT-related infrastructure and for the impact ICT has on society (21) and the economy (34). Commenting on the report, Qtel Qatar CEO Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani said the report provided a "welcome insight" into the milestones reached in national technological development, and of the opportunities and challenges ahead. "Under the wise leadership of HH the Emir and his government, Qatar has achieved remarkable progress as a hub for innovation and technological development. As a national company, Qtel is proud to be playing a role in building the infrastructure that will continue to move Qatar up in the international rankings. Our ambition is to make Qatar one of the best-connected countries not just in the region, but in the world," the Qatari English daily (Gulf Times) quoted Sheikh Saud as saying. Qtel is currently working on two major projects that will have an important impact on national network readiness. The successful launch of Qtel Fibre in Qatar is bringing the fastest-ever Internet to homes and businesses across the country. In addition, the launch of Qtel s LTE program, which will enable customers to access 4G services, will make a major contribution to Qatar s positioning at the cutting-edge of the latest technology. These two mega-projects are supported by a host of special services designed to support innovation and business growth, the paper said. The 2012 Networked Readiness Index uses 53 indicators to compute the impact of ICT on public policy. Changes have been made to the indicators to adapt the methodology to the pace of change in the technology sector and its subsequent impact on society. This year s report notes areas such as mobile broadband subscriptions, which are increasingly significantly in Qatar, while lessening the importance of previously significant indicators such as fixed-line penetration. The report also contains detailed country profiles for the 142 economies featured in the study. (QNA)